Hear me now
by Kristen.Dayringer.73
Summary: I looked at the grand throne that sat front and center in this massive room the ceilings were higher than I thought possible but the roof was open to the brilliant night sky. Had I ever seen that many stars before? I looked at the beautiful art work etched into the stone walls. I knew this room, I had walked these floors before I was absolutely sure. SKXOC YYXYM Rated T for now
1. Prologue

AN: Yes the title is the title of a Secondhand Serenade song. I heavily encourage you give it a listen every now and then through your reading.

Okay I am assuming that this new Yugioh movie coming out in April of 2016 is current time for the characters. Like the show is set six months after the dawn of the duel arc, and Kaiba is barely 19 so this chapter starts out when Seto is ten. I realize that Yugioh never gives an accurate time frame except when in ancient Egypt but for the sake of this story this is the time frame that I have decided to use.

I own nothing in any way related to Yugioh sadly but I do own my OC Aliyah whom you will learn a great deal about in the next few chapters.

Hear me Now: Prologue

Seto's POV

August 14th 2006

I watched Mokuba as he twirled around the grassy hill just a few feet in front of me whilst I leaned against the trunk of a young tree. It didn't provide me very much shade but it had a clear view of my little brother. He was carrying a magnifying glass and searching for ant hills.

I thought back to a time that I didn't have to keep a sharp eye on him constantly, when I wasn't responsible. Sometimes I felt much older than I was, at ten I wanted to burn ant hills like my five year old brother but I forced myself to refrain from such behavior because ever since our parents died I knew that I would never forgive myself if something happened to him. Mokuba was all I had left and I was determined to protect him at all costs, even if it cost my own childhood.

I saw a movement at the edge of the tree line that circled the back yard of the orphanage and quickly snapped a sharp eye towards the possible threat. There at the edge of the clearing stood a startling sight. I small girl who was older than Mokuba but not quite as old as myself stood frozen. I could see her small frame trembling as she looked up at me.

When our gazes locked I stared into her hopeless tear filled eyes though I only caught a glimpse as her head turned but and she began to run away. I jerked away from the tree I was leaning against and glanced at Mokuba quickly. He had turned around to face me and was looking at my rigid stance in confusion.

"Mokuba go inside." I barked and began running after this strange girl. I didn't really have a rational reason that I was chasing her. I knew I had never seen her at the orphanage before, but it was clear from the few seconds that I had to stare at her that she was completely alone. Her cloths were dirty and tattered. Her hair had been tangled as if flowed in the light breeze and she had been crying.

There wasn't much that I held onto from my life before the orphanage besides my baby brother but one thing that I remembered clearly almost as if it were yesterday was my father looking down at me with a soft smile as he explained that a girl should never cry.

" _Seto, it's a mans job to make sure that a lady never has to cry. If you see a girl who is sad you should do whatever it takes to bring a smile back to her face."_

With this thought I forced my feet to carry me faster just as I reached the tree line. I looked almost frantically around before I caught sight of her as she turned around a large oak tree.

"Wait! I want to help..." I yelled out as I lost sight of her for a moment behind the tree. But then I heard a crash and a small whimper come from her direction. As I reached the tree and rounded it I saw her face first on the leaf covered ground. It looked like she had tripped, and her shoulders shook with silent sobs. I knelt down next to her and placed a hand on the dirty surface of her shoulder. This only caused her to cry harder and I bit my lip and frowned.

"Hey, hey its okay." I said awkwardly as I shifted so that I was sitting on the ground next to her. She lifted herself up slowly and I could see she was still trembling. I shook myself out of the sweater I was wearing over my long sleeved button up shirt and shoved it out to her. She eyed it suspiciously for a moment before taking it and pulling the fabric over her dirty white dress.

I waited patiently, and partially because I had no idea what to say to a girl while she dried her eyes and fidgeted with the hem of my sweater.

"My name is..." I finally said and she raised her eyes up to mine. I had to actually force back the gasp that attempted to escape at the sight of her eyes and cut my sentence short. Crimson met Cerulean as we stared at each other and it felt like an eternity as I tried to sort through the odd thoughts that surfaced at the sight. For some reason her Ruby eyes made me think of the desert though I was sure in my ten years I had never seen it before.

"Seto." She said solemnly and my eyes widened. How could she know my name if we had never met. She shook her head as if she wasn't going to answer the question I hadn't even asked before she shifted to lean against the giant oak tree we were behind.

"My name is Aliyah." she whispered as she closed her eyes and I found myself able to think straight again. I watched her as she rested her head. Now that I was closer to her I could see details I couldn't before, like what looked like one blonde streak of hair that swooped over her face while the rest of her hair was black but with the afternoon light playing through the leaves of the trees I could see violet and red highlights.

Mud was caked to the side of her face and dirt covered most of her body. She was really thin and I found myself wondering how someone so small could survive out in the woods like this. While I was staring at her a tear slipped through her thick lashes and trailed its way down her cheek.

"Are you okay?" I asked awkwardly. _'Real smart Seto of course she isn't okay.'_ I thought as her eyes snapped open and wiped her face. She shot me a sad smile and shook her head.

"Where are your parents?" I asked hoping not to cause her to cry anymore. Her face grew grim and she clenched her jaw tightly and balled her fists.

"Their dead." she spat and then began to stand up. I followed suit and stood next to her while the chewed on her bottom lip. I touched her shoulder softly, so she was an orphan just like me.

"Mine too." I admitted and she looked at me surprised.

"But you didn't kill them." she stated and I took a step back to reexamine this strange girl. Surely someone so small and innocent looking couldn't have killed her own parents. The though crossed my head that maybe I shouldn't have chased after a stranger, even if she looked so sad it broke my heart.

I laughed awkwardly because I simply didn't know how to react to something so absurd. She turned her face from me then and began to take off my sweater only for me to grab her hand to stop her.

"You're cold. Keep it." I said as I pulled my arm back and watched her. She shifter nervously, and she looked like she was on the brink of breaking down.

"Why don't you come back to the orphanage with me. It's not the best place in the world but theirs a bed and some hot food." I suggested but she didn't even budge.

"I don't belong around people." She finally stated in a flat voice and I frowned. How long had she been out in the woods like this.

"Sure you do, your just a little girl." I said and she shot me a vicious glare that even though it came from a kid younger than me sent chills down to my core. She had so much anger behind her blood colored eyes that I gulped and took a step back.

"You don't know anything, I'm a monster!" she wailed and though I could tell she was trying to hold her fierce anger tears began to flow like two little rivers down her face. She glared at me for a second longer before she broke down into complete hysterics and dropped down to her knees and hugged herself. She began sobbing and I started to panic. The only person I ever dealt with while crying was Mokuba, why in the hell did I follow this girl out her?

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and crouched down next to her so that I was on her level before I placed a hand on her shoulder, this only made her cry harder and I cit my lip. This was making me uncomfortable and I considered leaving just to escape such a strange situation but my fathers words echoed though my head.

"I don't think you're a monster at all." I whispered making her jerk her tear stained face up to look at me in surprise. A variety of emotions played across her face and in this moment she looked years older than myself, though I thought her to be around eight or nine the determination and sheer power for lack of a better word, that was being oppressed by such an intricate sorrow and devastating fear made her look old. Like she had lived thousands of years more than me.

"I killed my mother." she whispered and though I felt my eyes widening I kept my hand firmly pressed against the warm fabric of my blue sweater. I didn't need to say anything, as she began to tell her story with a desperation that clearly said she had to tell someone, anyone and it just so happened to be me.

"It was an accident, I swear! I didn't know… I was so scared Seto..." she began with a shaking voice and lowered her gaze to her feet causing her bangs to cover her eyes.

"My mother got married two years ago to a man named Matthew, I hate him. He was mean to me from the start and it just got worse and worse. One day he stopped hitting me and started...I couldn't… I didn't want..." She gasped and if possible hung her head even lower and I realized what she was telling me. I may only be a kid but for the last nine months I had a lot more responsibility thrust upon my shoulders and I saw the world in a different light. I knew what she was telling me and it made me sick to my stomach.

"I killed him, I didn't mean to I just don't know how to control it. When I'm scared..." She trailed off again I got the feeling she was trying to edit her tale, she was obviously trying to hide something.

"What do you mean, what can't you control?" I asked trying to understand, she raised her head and was so sad I was lost in her crimson eyes for a moment as she collected her thoughts.

"I have this.. stuff. It's like magic." she said with wide eyes and I snorted. The immediate hurt that clouded her eyes was all I needed to understand why she was trying to edit her story even if I thought it was total crap, it clearly devastated her that I didn't believe what she said. I frowned and lowered my hand from her shoulder as I raised a brow at her in question.

"Magic really, I'm not stupid." I said as I started to raise myself up to leave slightly insulted. She grabbed my hand as I turned and I looked back at her.

"Wait Seto! I can show you." she said as she glanced around nervously. I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at her but otherwise waited to see what proof she had. She looked around thought I wasn't sure what she was looking for until she jumped up and clasped her hands gently around a butterfly that was passing by.

She gently closed her hands around it so that there was space for the butterfly to sit inside her cupped hands safely. I watched as she closed her eyes and her palm began to softly glow. My jaw dropped a little but I quickly recovered before she opened her eyes again. I noticed that her face had a tiny little bit more color and she looked lighter. She took three steps forward until we were only a half a foot away from each other and opened her hands. The butterfly was dead, and looked like it had all the life sucked out of it.

"That proves nothing! you suffocated it..." I tried to rationalize though I was more than a little baffled. She frowned and made me meet her gaze before she spoke.

"I was adopted from birth, My mother was an archeologist. She was in Egypt when she found me. She said that while she was digging she heard a baby crying. At first she thought she must be crazy but before too long she began to look for the sound.

She said she found me screaming and half baked by the desert sun. I was wrapped in a red blanket at the feet of a statue of a great nameless pharaoh. She took me to the hospital where they saved my life and told her it was a miracle I was alive.

She believed that it was the gods that brought me to her so when it came time for me to be adopted she took me in and named me after the pharaohs sister at the tomb I was found near." She pulled at a little side bag that was around her shoulders and hung at her hip and unzipped it. She pulled out a red blanket that had a golden eye embroidered in the middle. I was just about to ask a string of questions when she started talking again.

"When Mathew tried to hurt me the last time something inside of me snapped. I hated him and I was so afraid, I would rather die than let him touch me one more time and grabbed his face and squeezed. I remember my sight went red and I screamed. When I woke up he was dead, he looked hollow like he was all empty inside..." She glanced down at the butterfly and I watched her closely as her jaw trembled. After a moment she took a deep breath and continued.

"About this time my mother came home. She found me crying in a corner trying to hide from Mathew where he was still on the floor. She screamed and then pointed at me. 'You did this, you freak. You're a monster.'" I clenched my mouth as I listened to her as her voice changed to emphasis what I assumed were her mothers words. I thought back to my own parents, they were loving and patient and understanding. Surely they would not have reacted in such a way.

"I tried to tell her what he had done but it was pointless, she already saw what I was capable of. She already saw that I am a monster. She locked herself in her room for two days. I ate what I had available in the fridge, I thought maybe she would come back out and love me again and everything would be okay you know? But when she did come out she looked scared. She put me in this dress and told me to go upstairs, that she had drew me a bath. I thought that everything was okay but I was so wrong..." She began to shake and once again lowered her head to hide her face from me.

"She told me to get in still wearing my dress. I thought that was weird but I just wanted her to be happy. She started praying and then she pushed me under the water and held me down. I tried to fight and kick but I couldn't breath. I didn't mean to hurt her Seto! I didn't mean for any of this to happen… when I came up from the water she was dead too...So I ran away." She looked up at me then with the most pathetic, sad, helpless look that all I could do was smile even though I was more than baffled at her story. I still had more questions than answers and I wasn't even sure that I wanted to know, but I was sure about one thing at least. Aliyah wasn't smiling yet, so I had to help her.

"Well you got lucky." I said as I pulled her forward into what I hoped was a reassuring hug. She stiffened and balled her fists up against the collar of my shirt. She was so tense that I thought she must be terrified.

"Lucky? Are you crazy?" She hissed and pushed me away from her swiftly and shot me a death glare that I made sure to commit to memory for later usage. I smiled at her even as she crossed her arms and gave a petulant grunting noise.

"There's an orphanage, you saw me and my brother by it before. It might not be the best place on the planet but there's food and a bed. Also a hot bath, you look like you could use a bath." I grinned as she rolled her eyes. She stretched out her arm and opened her palm to reveal the _'suffocated'_ butterfly. I stared in shock as her palm began to glow a soft pink and slowly the butterfly began to twitch as it started plumping back out and returning its color. With one graceful swoop the insect flapped its colorful wings and flew away. I looked closely at Aliyah's face as she frowned and shed the last tears I would ever see her cry.

"I didn't know I could bring them back until it was too late." She murmured so quietly I wouldn't have heard her if I hadn't taken several steps forward to watch the butterfly as it flew away like nothing had ever happened. _'So maybe she didn't suffocate it…'_ I thought as we walked slowly back to the orphanage.

Aliyah's POV

December 21st 2006

"MOKUBA! I yelled as I dashed through the edge of the trees that surrounded my home, the orphanage that Seto had brought me too months ago when he first found me. I listened for a reply as I searched the back part of the grounds while Seto searched the front. I didn't think that Mokuba would go too deep into the woods so close to night time especially since he was so afraid of the dark.

I shivered as I pulled Seto's oversized blue sweater around myself tightly. I still hadn't given it back to him, though he hadn't asked for it back either. It wasn't like I had an abundance of clothes anyways. Counting the patched up purple dress I was wearing and the dress that I came here in, that I would never wear again.

"Mokie where are you?" I shouted again as I made the executive decision to dark deeper into the woods. I wasn't even thirty feet inside when it started getting really dark, I squinted my eyes to try and see and slowed down. It was then, when I wasn't making half as much noise as I had been before when I was running that I heard muffled shouting and a scared cry.

"Seto, I think I found him!" I yelled out hoping he heard me since it was clear that everyone else out here with me had.

"What was that?" One of the boys asked and I immediately recognized him, Charlie Nipper a twelve year old ass hat with a big mouth and a bad attitude.

"Mokuba! Charlie call off your boys!" I yelled as I ran into a little clearing, the same clearing from the night Seto chased me out here. I shook my head as I counted my options. Charlie was accompanied by his usual crew, Josh a Ten year old and Mosby a Fifteen year old. These were the oldest kids at the orphanage, followed by Seto who had just turned Eleven in October and then myself who would be turning ten in January.

Josh was holding Mokuba from behind as he squirmed, with a hand covering his mouth. Mosby was tossing rocks at Mokuba, or he had been until I interrupted. Charlie laughed and stepped forward with a nasty grin on his chubby face freckled face. I glared at him darkly and balled my fists as I squared my feet and straightened my back to try and reach his height. He still hovered at least a foot above me.

"What are you going to do about it Aliyah. You're all alone, outnumbered. Think you can take us all on? Ha!" he said as he pushed me on the chest. I held myself to keep from loosing my balance and spat in his face.

"I'll whoop your ass any time in a _fair_ fight. I proved that already, whats with the boys Charlie you scared of a little girl?" I asked and cocked a brow at him questionably. He wiped his face with one hand as he grabbed my shirt with the other lifting me to his level. I held still instead of kicking or trying to free myself. I could hear Mokuba whimpering and the sound of Mosby as he dropped his pebbles and stared at Charlie in shock.

"You know what _bitch_ , I'm going to teach you a lesson." He sneered as he locked eyes with me. I forced myself to keep an impassive face though his threat struck a cord. I could remember a time those exact words were uttered to me… a different voice, a different place I had to remember that or I would loose control.

"Shut up you worm." I hissed as I reared my head back and slammed my four head against his own. He dropped me and I fell on my butt with a thud. By this point Josh had released Mokuba who had ran behind me, though that did him little good. I tried to force myself to get up, but when I looked up at Charlie I didn't see curly red hair, or a pale faced teen. No I saw dark skin and brown hair, eyes like coal and dead inside. I shivered and closed my eyes, _'A different time, a different place.'_ I chanted as I took a deep breath.

"Oh did I hurt your feelings? Too bad get up." He grunted as he grabbed my arm too hard and tried to pull me up. I cried out completely afraid and opened my eyes hoping to clear the visions from my head. I looked up in terror hoping to see Charlies pale blue eyes, to see Seto's Eyes that were like the sky… to see the ruby eyes of the boy I dreamed about. Anything but hard black pits that held my frightened gaze. Somewhere in the distance I could hear desperate mumbling and Mokuba yelling my name but I couldn't focus on that.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Mathew, no Charlie asked in disgust as I was flung back onto the dirt. Everything was turning red and I grabbed my head to make it stop. I had to get control, to make the buzzing stop before I hurt someone else. I didn't want to run away anymore.

Beside me there was a blur of white and brown and it drew my attention away from the vision of my dead stepfather long enough to clear the red haze and the awful buzzing. I blinked as Charlies face was snapped to the side, I followed the fist attached to his face all the way up the arm to see Seto. In the half second it took for Charlie to fall hard on the ground and for Seto to wipe off his fist and look at Josh and Mosby they both took several steps back.

Seto turned to me since it didn't seem that there was a threat anymore with Charlie passed out and his boys abandoning him. He held out his hand, but I sat completely still. I couldn't move, I was still so scared even if I realized that there wasn't anything to be afraid of.

"Ally what language were you speaking just now?" Seto asked me as he lowered himself down to my level. I shook my head as I listened to the sound of my own pulse racing in my ears. I hadn't said anything that wasn't in English.

"I've never heard anything like that. Are you sure you don't know?" He persisted as he reached a hand out to brush some mud off my face. I flinched away from him and then pushed myself quickly off the ground.

"I said I don't know okay drop it!" I snapped as I brushed myself off. Mokuba ran up to his brother and clutched his waist tightly.

"Ally, what happened? You've whooped Charlie's ass twice it didn't look like Josh or Mosby wanted to get caught up in another fight, you could have taken him." Seto stated with a smirk. I shook my head again, this time I didn't have an answer. So far I've only been haunted in the night, in my dreams by the ghost of my past. I have never had a panic attack like that around other people. I mean Seto has seen me freak out, I never cry but its like I scream or fight. He says sometimes I even shut down completely, like I'm on auto-pilot or something like that.

"Ally..." he sighed and tried to put a hand on my shoulder only for me to push it away and storm off. I needed to be alone, I didn't want Seto to see me cry. I refused to show anyone my weakness, this was just something I had to do alone.

March 12th 2007

Seto's POV

I leaned my head against the hard bark of the big oak tree behind the orphanage and sighed. Up above me Aliyah was perched in a low hanging branch reminding me oddly of a cat as she watched Mokuba run around and try to catch butterfly's in a net. In the seven months since she came to live at the orphanage with us we had gotten pretty close and she had grown ridiculously protective over Mokuba, almost as over protective as I was.

"Hey." I said as I looked at her, she tilted her head down to me and smirked as she jumped down. She sat down next to me as I passed an apple that I had taken from the kitchen down to her. She gladly took a bite before handing it back to me to do the same. We sat there quietly for a while munching on the apple until nothing but a core was left that I threw behind us.

She threw herself dramatically to the ground and rolled on her back before she crossed her arms under her head and closed her eyes. I watched her while she lounged, the afternoon sun made multicolored streaks of hair stand out in contrast to the soft blond of her bangs. Though the hairstyle was odd it was pretty like this. Suddenly her bright crimson eyes opened and she eyes me skeptically.

"What are you looking at?" she demanded and I shrugged and shifted my eyes back on Mokuba trying to pretend I didn't feel my face warming up at being caught. She grumbled under her breath and closed her eyes again.

"Hey." I said in another lame attempts to try and bring up what was bothering me. This time she took the hint as she sat up slowly and gave me _'the look'_ that said wheres the poop Seto. I frowned as I tried to put my thoughts into words.

"Are you happy?" I slowly asked as I finally managed to form a coherent sentence. She raised one delicate brow at me and laughed. It was a dark chuckle, and I knew that it was complete sarcasm.

"I'm serious!" I said as I tried to glare at her like she always was towards me, towards everyone really. Her smirk fell and she looked me in the eyes for a moment. Long enough for me to see just an ounce of the pain that existed there.

"Whats there to be happy about. My parents are dead. I am a freak. We're orphans. You have Mokuba, I have no one." She spoke slowly, as if she was having just as much trouble speaking these thoughts as I had been. I frowned and reached out and grabbed her hand. Hoping that she wouldn't punch me for it I laced my fingers with hers before I spoke.

"You have me Ally." I said softly hoping that for just a moment that she would smile. I had never really seen her smile before, I mean there were times I was sure that she was happy. For small moments, and I knew she liked me and my brother otherwise why would she still stick with us after all this time? But I also knew she was suffering, more than I was for sure. I barely remember my mother, even less the older I get and my father was a good man and he loved me and Mokuba. More than I could say for Aliyah's parents, And I did have Mokuba at the end of each day. I needed her to understand that I counted her as family.

"Don't make promises you don't intend to keep Seto." She threatened but she didn't remove her hand from mine. I squeezed lightly causing her to give me another look to which I grinned and rolled my eyes.

July 18th 2008

Aliyah's POV

"Happy Birthday Mokie!" I said as I handed him a little square box that had reused wrapping paper from My birthday. He grabbed it greedily and opened it up tearing the paper to shreds. He pulled the top off to reveal a drawing I made of the three of us. At eleven and a half I was a pretty good artist if I do say so myself. I mean I was beyond stick figures and compared to the other kids that was leaps and bounds ahead.

"Ahh I love it Ally! Thank you so much!" He shrieked as he hugged me tightly. I hugged him back and let a tiny ghost of a smile touch my lips for half a second before I pulled back and wiped my face of the grin. I saw Seto smiling a huge smile as he walked over to us. He had given Mokuba his gift earlier this morning, Seeing how we were orphans we couldn't afford much at all but it was the thought that counts right?

"Thank you Ally." He said as he stood next to me. I looked out the window to not have to look at his overly cheerful face. I didn't like to get mushy even with Seto who was my best friend. He knew that and I swear he made a point to make me uncomfortable because he sure never bugged any of the other kids.

"Well you know, I love the kid." I grunted as I touched the cold glass and watched the rain pour down outside. Mokuba complained that it always rained on is birthday and Seto agreed that it had rained ever year, He told Mokuba that it was their mother's way of telling him happy birthday because she loved the rain. It made Mokuba happy, but the thought made me sad. I didn't have a mother, I mean I had an adoptive mother who I killed in self defense, but I was abandoned before that. Who ever my mother was abandoned me as a helpless baby in the middle of the desert to die. Who does that?

"I know, we're pretty fond of you too." he said as he nudged me lightly and I growled as I glared at him. He laughed good naturally and backed off, though he was getting braver. He knew just how to push my buttons but also just when to shut up before I punched him.

"Yea well yea…" I said awkwardly and walked off as he started to laugh at me.

October 25th 2009

"Did you have a good day big brother?" Mokuba asked as he tugged on Seto's sleeve with a huge grin plastered on his face. Seto smiled down at him and ruffled his raven locks affectionately.

"Sure did." He said and Mokuba beamed at him before he ran off to play with some of the younger kids. Seto watched him for a moment before turning his attention back to me and sighing. I frowned at him and walked to stand closer, I didn't like it when he was sad. Besides today was suppose to be a happy day, it was his birthday after all.

"Seto?" I asked as I looked into his cerulean eyes. He grabbed my hand, a habit he was getting way to comfortable with and squeezed my hand making my face heat up.

"I'm thirteen. Another year older, another year without finding a home for me you and Mokuba." He whispered and his voice sounded so sad that I squeezed back just to make him happy again.

"Seto, are you happy?" I asked him throwing his question from last year back at him. His eyes widened a little bit as he looked at me honestly and I watched as a beautiful smile lit up his face. He reached up and swept the back of his hand over my face to brush my hair from my eyes before he answered me making me blush even more and freeze.

"Yes. I absolutely am. I have my baby brother, and I have you. I alive and well, and we will find a home. I promise." When he said it, he said it with such confidence like he truly believed it to be true. I found myself smiling too. Somehow it was infectious, his happiness. Maybe I was because I wanted him to be happy, and it made me happy.

We were both lost in this little moment, Just smiling at each other when he broke the spell. He chuckled as he pulled back and I realized for the first time just how close we were.

"Best birthday gift. You should smile more often Ally." He said making me turn seven shades of scarlet as he chuckled and walked away. I wanted to hit him, to hurt his stupid smug face but another smaller part of me was happy that he thought so much of something so simple as a smile.

January 27th 2010

Seto's POV

Aliyah didn't come out of her room all day. The nuns said she was sick and they wouldn't let me go in and see her. Somehow I got the feeling that it was more than that. Over the last few weeks she was getting more and more withdrawn. It took years for me to gain her trust enough that we could share intimate details about our pasts. I knew it was her birthday and If I remembered right she was sick last year too, but never sick any other part of the year. Even when both me and Mokuba got the flu she was fine.

"Seto, do you think that Ally is okay?" Mokie asked catching my attention, I smiled down at him and nodded. I ruffled his hair and told him to go play with some of the kids and he rushed off to grab a board game. He was getting good at chess but he would never be as good as it as I was.

I waited until none of the grown ups were paying attention before I snuck into her room. I was sure to be caught but not before I made sure that she knew that I was here for her. She was huddled in her bed, being so quiet I realized she was asleep.

"Atem… Please no… Atem." She mumbled as she rolled over and gripped the sheets. I frowned, I had heard her mention that name before. A couple of time in her sleep over the years and once or twice when she didn't know I was paying attention to her. This was a part of her past she kept hidden and I never understood why. The one time I asked her about it she nearly had a panic attack and then when she calmed down she told me that he didn't know.

I watched her for a while as she slept, her brow covered in a sheen of sweat and her long hair tangled. She was a mess, no wonder the nuns didn't want me to see her. She really looked sick.

"Ra please… SETO." She suddenly shouted as she sprang up in bed her eyes wild and afraid. I wasted no time climbing into the bed next to her so that I could wrap my arms around her and try and calm her down. She was burning up and I knew as soon as I touched her that I needed to get one of the nuns, she needed medicine or something to break her fever.

"Shh, its okay Aliyah. I'm here." I whispered and she shook her head back and forth.

"No you're dead. Seto you're dead... and my brother is dead... all of Egypt is deal...My mother oh god I killed her!" She babbled as she clutched my shirt and wept dry tearless sobs. She was obviously delirious and I knew that she needed help, she had never said anything about a brother, and what did Egypt have to do with anything?

"Mother Lisa! Come quickly Ally needs help!" I screamed to get the attention of the head nun. This caused Ally to cry out and flinch back. I lowered her head down on her pillow and she whimpered as she started to mutter _'Atem.'_ over and over again.

Mother Lisa came running in with a few other nuns and quickly ushered me out of the way though no one thought to remove me from the room. Everyone knew how close we were, we were almost inseparable.

I watched as the adults quickly decided that Ally needed to go to the hospital. Her fever was obviously very high. I was shuffled back into the living room area where Mokuba quickly grabbed my hand and started to cry. I scooped him up quickly and hushed him.

"Don't worry buddy, when she gets to the hospital they will give her medicine that will help her fever go down. She will be fine, I promise." I said as he wiped his eyes.

"Alright children, we're going to call it an early night. Everyone go start getting ready for bed." Mother Lisa commanded as several kids groaned. I frowned, like hell I would be able to sleep. I walked up to the blonde nun who was directing several of the other nuns to prepare the van so that they could take Ally to the hospital.

"Yes Seto?" She asked in an overly kind voice as she looked down at me. I stared right back up at her and frowned.

"Will you tell me when she gets back if she is okay." I asked nervously not wanting to admit that she could not be okay. Mother Lisa smiled down at me kindly and nodded.

"Of course Seto you sweet boy." She said as she turned and I was left standing in the now emptying room as everyone went to bed.

April 3rd 2010

Aliyah's POV

I woke up slowly as I rubbed my eyes and stretched. I was the last one up, I usually was lately. The nuns let it slide because the medicine I was taking made me sleepy. Thought they never let me sleep past ten in the morning most of the other children were awake by seven.

I had been having to take medicine on a regular basis since I went to the hospital this winter. I had the flu they said, but that's not what the medicine was for. The doctors noticed a few things while I was there, since I had to stay a little over two weeks.

They made me see a counselor twice a week now, since I was depressed. That's what they called it and gave me medicine to make me _'happy'_ though it didn't really work. The doctors saw the scars on my back, the ones _'he'_ left there and the old broken rib that was apparently set wrong since I never saw a doctor when it happened. They made me talk about the _'abuse'_ and told me it was healthy to talk about it. But somehow it only made the night mares worse, so they gave me sleeping medicine.

It seemed like lately I was a zombie, I was either tired or I was just blah. I didn't could any of this as happy though. Seto was worried about me, I had told him a little bit about what happened. How the doctors found out I was hurt. How they found out how he hurt me, and how I was continuing to hurt myself. I don't think he understands though, it just makes him sad.

As I walked out into the living room area and into the dinning room I found Seto sitting at the table writing. He smiled at me and I nodded back at him just as Mother Lisa brought a bowl of cereal out to me.

"Sorry dear that there's no eggs and bacon left. But eat up and then I will bring you your medicine." She said softly as she gave me my food. I nodded thankfully at her. This would be the only mean of the day I would be hungry for because once I took the medicine I would completely loose my appetite.

I began eating quietly and tried to ignore Seto as he watched me. Finally I had enough and I stealthy flicked a spoonful of my cereal in his face. He stared at me shocked before he broke out into laughter. This made me smile a little, which of course made Seto grin like a mad man as he wiped off the milk from his face. He didn't even seem mad that I just got him dirty.

"Okay children I have an announcement. Next week a very important visitor is coming. His name is Mr Kaiba and he will be donating to the orphanage. I expect everyone to be on their best behavior." Mother Lisa said after she cleared her throat. Everyone snapped to attention immediately, including Seto and Mokuba who was playing Capsule monsters with a six year old girl. But I continued eating pretending to be uninterested, though I was listening. I was just too hungry to care too much about what the nun was saying.

All the kids began to chatter excitedly, even Seto smiled as he made a fist. I tried to ignore it all, what hope was there for me to be adopted anyways. No one wants used good right? Seto began to watch me then, surely noticing that I was so quiet. He didn't speak at first, just watched me before he narrowed his eyes and jumped up from the table and walked around it to grab my hand and pull me out of my chair and away from my almost empty bowl of cereal.

"Hey! Seto, my food..." I wailed as he tugged me along. I jerked my arm from his grasp after he had almost drug me completely outside. I stormed up to Mother Lisa as she was already picking my bowl up and realizing that my meal and my mood was ruined I held out my hand. The aging nun eyes me for a moment before she chuckled and reached into her robes pulling out the little prescription bottle that had 'Aliyah Williams' written across the front.

"Here you go dear. You know it wouldn't hurt for you to ask politely next time." She chastised as she handed my my anti-depressant. If I had to take these for the rest of my life to be normal, happy then by the time I was an adult I would have taken four thousand three hundred and eighty just by the time I turned eighteen since I took two pills a day. One for depression and one to sleep.

When I turned around I saw Seto's face, he looked so god damn sad for a split second before he smiled and reached a hand out to touch me I flinched a little but didn't draw away. I hated that he was so nurturing sometimes, it was cute when he took care of Mokuba but I knew enough about how the world worked to take care of myself. He took note of the sour look on my face and slowly dropped his hand not even trying to hide his crestfallen expression. A wave of guilt hit me like a brick wall but I was so far in my own head I didn't move or say a word. After a minute he shook his head and slowly walked off to talk to his brother who was jumping up and down excitedly. The eight year old smiled brightly unaware of Seto's almost angry face before he too smiled and began talking as he waved his arms about.

 _'What are they so excited about? Something about a loaded business man, probably looking to adopt. This could be their ticket out of here.'_ I dared not even think that there was an option to get out of this place myself. Seto was obviously the best option, he was brilliant for his age. He could run faster than anyone else and it wasn't just because he was almost the oldest kid here. Mokuba was adorable, as a packaged deal it was the obvious choice. At least the way I saw it.

I walked towards the back door and into the back yard. So early in the morning on a Sunday not very many kids had ventured outside. There was a nun with pretty brown hair standing at the edge of the building watching a group of four and five year old kids playing in the sand box.

I walked up to the swing putting both hangs on the thick chains and began to idly push my feet as I stared into the green woods. I felt the cool breeze on my face as I swung and closed my eyes taking pleasure in a small moment of relative solitude. It was Seto really he was amazing, it was crazy that he cared so much. That he considered me family, that would make him and Mokuba the only family I had in the world. Besides perhaps a mother on the other side of the world that had abandoned me. No it wasn't Seto, it was me.

The breeze picked up and the strangest thing happened. It began to get warmer and warmer until my skin felt almost sun-kissed. I opened my eyes confused and realized immediately that I was hallucinating. That's what the counselor said at least.

 _The landscape before me was sand as fast as the eye could see but suddenly I could hear the sound of rushing water. I blinked to clear this unwanted vision from my sight only for everything to shift as soon as I opened them again. Now I was in a poorly lit room, I had seen this before in some of my better dreams. I took a step forward shocked that my feet were firmly on a stone floor and I wasn't holing the chains of the swing anymore._

 _I looked at the grand throne that sat front and center in this massive room. The ceilings were higher than I thought possible but the roof was open to the brilliant night sky. Had I ever seen that many stars before? I looked at the beautiful art work etched into the stone walls._

 _I knew this room, I had walked these floors before I was sure of it._

" _Alya my sister why have you ventured out into the night?" I darted my head at the soft chuckles coming from the man behind me. I say man but as soon as I got a closer look at his face I realized he was my age… No wait he was a teenager, but why was I the same height? Then I realized that my proportions were off, no longer was a tiny girl with rough knuckles. My fingers were long and slim, almost dainty looking. I also noticed the soft Lavender colored robes that draped delicately around my arm. Under neath just barely showing were golden bands._

 _I directed my focus back on the boy next to me. He was maybe sixteen so I judged my own age around that. I had seen him before and I smiled even though the action felt somehow not my own._

" _Atem… Pharaoh I'm sorry I couldn't sleep." I said as I slowly bowed my head. Okay it was official I had no control over any of my actions, it was like I was just watching from the eyes of another me. It was a weird feeling, never before had my fantasy's taken such a turn. Usually it was just bad stuff, when I was having a panic attack. This moment now was more like a dream, or a memory that I couldn't snap out of._

" _Alya please not you too… Its bad enough that Seto is acting so proper now. None of that Pharaoh nonsense from you you're still my baby sister."My attention snapped to Seto's name as he ruffled my hair affectionately. I found myself swatting his hand away as I chuckled._

" _Sorry, it's strange that you're Pharaoh now. Strange that father has joined mother in the afterlife." I admitted as I shifted my feel awkwardly hearing the sang ground against stone. He frowned and nodded but said nothing as he looked at the throne. I followed his line of sight and thought about what this strange vision meant. The longer I spent in this spell the more I was thinking of myself as this girl who belonged to this fairy tale. That was the bad part about these dreams, sometimes it was so happy that it was somehow worse than the nightmares. This kind of happiness wasn't meant for me, the monsters of my past had made sure of that._

" _How have you and Seto been?" He asked after a moment changing the topic. I smiled for a second as I raised my head to observe the brilliant array of stars scattered across the midnight sky. A soft warm breeze moved the fabric of my robes around my feet and I closed my eyes._

" _We are well, he is over protective as always. He will not stop asking me if I am okay or trying to take care of me. I'm not made of glass and I must admit that I am beginning to get frustrated." I sighed as I brushed my golden bangs out of my face. Something me and this man, my brother shared. Though his hair was wild, he still had the same golden bangs angled sharply around his face and the same dark black with reddish violet streaks running through. He even had my eyes, or maybe I had his I didn't even know how I felt about this dream anymore._

" _You know he only means the best. Don't be to harsh on him, he loves you to the moon and back." Atem said as he smiled encouragingly at me. I nodded feeling a wave of guilt wash over me. I was always pushing him away wasn't I?_

"Aliyah!" I jerked my eyes open as I felt my shoulders being shook. Blue flooded my vision as I stared into Seto's worried eyes. I felt my eyes widen. _'Seto…'_ I lunged forward so quickly it knocked him back a little as I threw my arms around his midsection in a tight hug. He stumbled a bit as he wrapped his arms around me.

"I love you." I whispered as feelings from my strange day dream flooded me. Realizing what I said I quickly pushed him away and faced his bewildered look. His cheeks lit up a little as he took an awkward step back though he kept his hand on my shoulder and shot me a goofy grin.

"I mean, I'm sorry. I can be a jerk I know, it's just this medicine makes me get in my head so bad sometimes it is hard to come out. Please don't be mad at me." I exclaimed in a rush as then looked at my hands, now short and boney. I didn't eat much so I was really small for my age. Seto stood almost a foot ahead of me and it wasn't that much older.

"I'm not mad at you Ally. I just wish you would let me in, I will always be here for you. But I can't help you if you don't let me." He sighed as he pulled me into a hug once more. I allowed it even though it put my stomach in uncomfortable knots. I let my head rest against his chest and listened to his heart beat. This moment was still somehow sad, almost like it was coming to an end.

Monday April 11th 2010

Seto's POV

I shifted in the stuffy suit as I tried to shift the tie to ease the pressure on my throat. Mokuba was nearly vibrating beside me as he bounced in utter happiness. This made me smile as I held his hand tightly. I gazed around the other kids and nuns that surrounded us but didn't see Aliyah anywhere. _'Where is she, I haven't seen her since she tripped over Mr. Kaiba's Briefcase.'_ I thought as I kept looking for her. It was weird for her to be clumsy like that, she was always careful.

"Excuse me I think I forgot something inside." I muttered with my head bowed down. The adults were busy with the final paperwork to finalize mine and Mokuba's adoption. I had to find Aliyah, I had to say goodbye.

I found her inside standing by the glass window. She quickly turned her head so that I couldn't see her face behind her thick black and violet hair. I touched her shoulder softly and she didn't even flinch, but she also made no move or sound to acknowledge me.

"I'm sorry Aliyah, I have to find Mokuba a home." I whispered guiltily. She still said nothing so I turned her around by pulling on her shoulder. I though for a second I caught the glimpse of tears caught in her eyes, I hadn't seen her cry since the day we met but before I could be sure her hand slapped me hard across the cheek. My eyes widened as she turned her back to me once more.

"You promised me. We were family, you are all I had. When you're gone there wont be a reason to wake up." She whispered as her shoulders shook. I rubbed my stinging cheek as I watched her, sure that she was crying but even after all this time together she refused to let me see her pain. _'Of course not, you are abandoning her after all…'_

"Seto get out here you brat we're leaving." The voice of my adoptive father sounded behind me and I frowned. I didn't know what to say to her, I didn't know how to explain the choice I had to make. This was Mokuba's only chance at a normal life, it it had been only me I would stay in this hell hole with her forever. But I had a whole other life that I was responsible for. I had tried to get her adopted with us, tried to say she was my sister but Gozoboroh Had made it clear that I won the rights to only mine and Mokuba's futures and I could take it or leave it.

"Yes Sir..." I said as I turned sadly away from the girl I thought I loved. I was too young to know what to do so I took the cowards route and decided to leave her behind.

"Seto, promise me one thing...Make sure that you are happy." She said and I whipped my head back around to see her walking away. She spared me lo last glances but the soft tone of her last whispered request made my heart break. I took a deep breath and then followed my new father outside and into the shiny black limo that awaited me. I climbed in next to Mokuba who was touching the leather seat.

"Have you ever seen a car so nice big brother?" He asked me as he looked up into my eyes. I stared into his round Grey eyes as he took note of my sadness.

"I am going to miss her to." He said with a suddenly serious look. Sometimes it surprised me how perceptive he could be. But after just a second he was bouncing back to the window to wave to the other kids. I looked out of my window back at the large window that I knew Aliyah was standing on the other side of and made a promise to myself. When I turn eighteen I would come back to the orphanage and track her down.

October 25th 2013

Aliyah's POV

"Happy birthday." I whispered as I stared out of the kitchen window at the night sky. I touched the glass before I turned around to find Mason standing right behind me. Out of all my foster siblings he was probably my favorite. Two years ago I was moved into the foster program, since there had been an influx of younger kids over the years and the orphanage needed the extra room.

"It's not your birthday." He said as he sat down at the small little table at the end of the kitchen that was more of a sitting table. The over sized dinning room table was in the dining room. This was my favorite place to eat, since it wasn't crowded and I still hadn't warmed up to most of the other foster kids here.

"No it isn't" I replied as I took a bite of the B.L.T. on the plate in front of me. I had to eat before I took my sleeping medicine, and since I had skipped dinner and it was getting late that meant I needed to eat before I went to bed. Mason eyed me suspiciously as he snatched a piece of bacon off of my plate.

"Who's birthday then?" He asked as he ate the crispy strip. I rolled my eyes at his invasive nature and pushed the half eaten plate at him since I was full anyways. Then I pulled out the bottle of pills from my pocket and took one. I hated this part of my day, but I had to admit over the years that the medication made it easier to control my hidden powers since they seemed to be based on my emotions. I had had a few slip up though. Now three foster homes later I was getting better.

I walked into the living room quietly and stood behind the couch where most of the family was gathered. Matt, who I hated because he reminded me of my step-father and Nicole sat in the floor playing on their phones and Mr. and Mrs. Nelson sat on the couch. As I glanced at the TV my eyes nearly bulged out of my head at the sight.

"Turn that up!" I all but shouted startling everyone in the room. I almost never yelled, and was usually as quiet as a mouse. Mr. Nelson turned it up even as Nicole grumbled about me getting my way.

"Live footage of the electric duel between the former world champion Seto Kaiba as he tries to earn back his title from the King of games himself Yugi Mouto." I walked around the TV and actually sat down on the floor next to my foster siblings. Something I had never done before and I had been in this home for over a year now.

"I know him." I whispered to myself as I leaned towards the screen. How funny he was dueling on his birthday. I smiled softly as I watched the footage of him summoning a blue eyes white dragon. I was actually pretty interested in duel monster but it wasn't as popular here in America as it was in Japan. Did that mean that Seto was in Japan then?

"Yea right loser." Nicole jabbed as she stood up and left the room. Mason took her place next to me and I saw him wipe mayo off the corner of his mouth.

"Don't listen to her. Hey that guy kind of looks like you huh?" he asked as he pointed to the other boy in the duel. Yugi Mouto. I audibly gasped as I say his hair and the crimson tint to his eyes.

 _'My god…'_ I thought as the room started to go dark. I shivered and looked around realizing I wasn't in the living room anymore. Everything was dark, but somehow this darkness was familiar. I was long since used to these strange vision and for the most part I understood that they weren't hallucinations. I wasn't crazy, I lived that life and I remembered ever detail but I never thought I would see Atem again.

I felt something hot in my right hand. So hot that it almost burned me, and I looked down to see that I was holding a golden rod that was in the shape of a rose with thin delicate golden petals that surrounded the eye of Ra which I reconsigned from my dreams and the Egyptian books I checked out from the library. Golden thorns ran up the handle but my hand fit perfectly between them. As soon as I was aware that I had the millennium rose I was more sure than I ever had been.

"Princess it is good to see you." Said a feminine voice and I looked up to see a pure white wolf with red marking on her face. She sat down merely a foot in front of me and lowered her head so that I could see the sky blue piercing eyes.

"Amaterasu..." I spoke softly as the name came to me from memory, this was my spirit guide in my past life. She nodded her head and I bowed my own head down to her in a show of respect.

"You know why I have brought you here?" She asked softly and her voice sounded like bells it was so pure and clear through this thick darkness that I realized was the shadow realm. How was it now, at fifteen I was realizing why I had spent my life struggling with these powers I didn't understand. I looked at the Rose, knowing that it was part of why everything was so clear to me now.

"I have find my brother." I said assuredly as I gripped the metal tightly. She nodded as she reached a paw out closer to me.

"Your bother is in grave danger Princess, without all of the item wielders together the world will surely parish in the years to come." She said and I grit my teeth together hard making a grinding noise. How was I suppose to be expected to do anything to help anyone when I couldn't help myself? But the thought of seeing Seto again and having he chance to apologize and the chance to meet my brother and help him remember the past I knew was as real as the blood pumping through my veins was so tempting that I found myself forgetting that I wasn't capable of doing anything amazing.

"Have more faith in yourself child, you are the key to a world full of happiness. You just have to believe in your own power." Amaterasu said as she shook her head and her silvery white hair glimmered in the darkness though there was no light to shine from anywhere I could see.

"How do I control my power?" I asked feeling the fear that had always gnawed at me in the back of my head. I was petrified of hurting people. I knew what I was capable of and it scared the living shit out of me to know that I could crush a human being. I could take a life, and the fact that I could also heal was over shadowed by the fact that I had never once done any good with my powers.

"You must find the priest, He will show you the way back into the light." She whispered and I saw her form began to shimmer as she started fading away I cried out as she disappeared. But as soon as she was gone I was back in the living room and it was as if no time at all had passed while I was gone.

"Mason you have a point son, He does look strikingly like Aliyah. Same hair and eyes, how strange." Mrs. Nelson agreed as she glanced up from her magazine." I didn't remove my eyes from the screen as I tightened my hands around the rose that was still with me. I stood up suddenly and walked swiftly out of the room so that no one would see this new object and went into my room. I had to plan, I had a mission. One way or another I was going to go to Japan and I was going to find my brother. Then I was going to find Seto and tell him how sorry I was for that awful day.

AN: So that is chapter one and if anyone has seen something similar to this out these that's because I had an old account years ago where I originally wrote a story pretty similar to this and this is just me rewriting it and changing things now that I am a much better writer. I sincerely apologize for this giant chapter. I will try to keep the following chapters a little shorter but this prologue had to cover such a large amount of time over the years. I know that my time-line is kinda wobbly, but I making it to where in 2015 (current time) Seto would be 18 Mokuba will be thirteen Aliyah will be 17 and Yugi will be 17 making Atem 18

IMPORTANT NOTE! I am giving Atem his own body, back story is that after the duel between Yugi and Yami that the pharaoh won but for his bravery and saving the world several times he will get to keep his own body instead of returning to the puzzle. He has most of his memories back but not all. Most will come with time. This is where current day will leave off in the next chapter.

Please read and review my wonderful readers :)


	2. Chapter One

Hear me now

Chapter One:

July 29th 2015

Seto's POV

"So you agree?" Mokuba asked referring to his previous statement that perhaps there was more to this Magic nonsense that we had originally though. He stared out of the large windows in my office that over looked the city's skyline. His face was worried behind his dark hair as he lowered his head slightly. I watched this all from my peripherals as I leaned against the rich mahogany of my desk.

"Maybe." I said shortly as brought my hands to rest under my chin as I thought about what I was saying. In a nut shell the world was going to hell and to admit that this was real meant admitting that every crazy magical detail was also true. I laid the facts before myself, I knew that the _'Millennium items'_ were real. I had witnessed the magic that the other Yugi possessed even if I refused to admit it out loud. I tried to remember a time that I was more open minded about such things but found that after years of torture at the hands of my deceased _father_ had washed my mind of most memories from my life before.

Just then my office phone rang making me grunt as I snapped up the receiver and jerked it to my ear. On the screen the perky face of my aqua haired secretary popped up making me sneer as I rolled my eyes at her intrusion.

"What is it?" I barked already loosing patience with the woman. I would have to fire her soon, I never liked her anyways, though she had stuck around longer than most. Mostly due to her incredible organazation.

"You have an urgent call from a Mr Wheeler." She said as she shuffled through paperwork idly. Mokuba whipped his head around to stare at me and even I leaned a little closer realizing who she was referring to.

"That's Joey!" He said as he walked to stand beside me and peer at my secretary over the tablet screen. I rolled my eyes and leaned back slightly in the chair even though I was actually concerned. The last I checked the _Geek Squad_ was in America with Professor Hawkins and that brat… what was her name?

But we hadn't head from them in over two weeks. I hated to admit it even to myself, that I was even the tiniest bit worried about them. I mean with the way the world was lately with monsters roaming wild. Not just holograms but real monsters and gaping holes in the sky. Not to mention the fact that people were dropping into comas after loosing to a duel, loosing their very souls.

"Fine put him through." I sighed as I spared a glance at my brother who had worry lines creasing his four head. I frowned, even though I was worried myself I didn't want him to feel like he had to worry about those losers.

"Very well Mr Kaiba." She said as the screen went blank for a moment only to reveal a honey colored eye zoomed up close. I snorted indignantly at Wheelers importance as we wiggled in front of the webcam.

"Is this thing even on?" The voice of the Mutt asked as he moved around and cocked one of his brows up in confusion. I closed my eyes and resisted the urge to hang up in this insolent twit before Mokuba spoke up.

"It works better when you step back from the web cam." He said slowly his voice laced heavily with sarcasm. Joey moved back to reveal the whole squad of losers including the dice boy. Tristan was staring at the screen on their end while the cheerleader was sitting down right beside and slightly behind Wheeler and Yugi was in the back looking away from the screen almost guiltily.

"Eh, hey ha ha… you're right." The mutt chuckled as he scratched the side of his face in a nervous manner. Mokuba cleared his throat softly beside me and I straightened my back against the leather back of my chair.

"Make it fast Wheeler." I snapped sick of his face already. His expression became considerably more serious, a trait that I had to admit was the only reason I didn't break him in half...when the situation dictated he knew when to think rationally.

"We have some new clues about those biker punks." He said as he stared at me to gauge my reaction. I stayed impassive except couldn't help but narrow my eyes momentarily as I processed what he was saying.

"What Kind of clues?" I demanded tightening my grip on the phones headset in anticipation. I had my own more personal reasons to wast to track down those criminals that had little to do with Yugi and his gang. The Mutt grinned as he lowered his head a little and I realized that I had taken his bait. But I bit my tongue anyways as I stared at him.

"We're not giving them up that easily Kaiba, but if you give us a ride to Florida I'll fill you in on the way." He offered as he closed his eyes in what I assumed was a humbling gesture meant to make me feel sorry for them. I sneered at the thought of being in any close proximity to the nerd herd. Did I want to tavle any measure of distance, clear on the other side of the world at that just to pick them up and take them to Florida? Why in fuck's sake were they going to Florida?

"So what's it going to be?" The spike headed idiot asked as he leaned towards the web cam and over the Mutts shoulder intimidatingly and Wheeler grabbed the edged of the computer screen shaking the camera's view for a moment.

"Time is running out! Those creeps defeated Yugi and took his soul!" He shouted as he stared me down. Three of the other dweebs in the room groaned and Tristan grabbed the Mutts face from behind and pulled him backwards and looped him into a choke hold as he lowered down close to his ear.

"Way to keep a secret lame brain!" The wannabe biker yelled in the boys face. Mokuba shifted as he leaned in closer to the screen but I couldn't move as the ramifications of what Wheeler had just said sank into my brain slowly. Yugi closed his eyes and turned his head even further away and I could clearly see the shame etched on his face making him look far older than he ever had.

"Yugi's soul, what's he mean?" Mokuba asked but I couldn't see his face to read the feelings behind the thought nor could I answer him. I stared at Yugi, no the other one. The same man who's eyes I stared down ever time we dueled, yes I was sure that they were two different people though I tried not to think of such things.

Wheeler smacked his hands together right in front of Tristan's face making the boy release him. He leaned forward and began to wave his hand in front of his face with a coy look, but I was paying little attention to him anyways.

"Please disregard my last statement folks." He dismissed and Tristan began to rambled but I paid little mind, I barely even heard him. All I could hear was the beating of my pulse in my ears as I kept my eyes trained on the other Yugi, he slowly opened his eyes again. It was then the reality hit me full on. I ground my teeth together and felt my face pulling into an appalled grimace as my eyes widened and a lump formed in my throat. What was this feeling, could I possibly care?

"Kaiba doesn't believe in magic, its all some _'mombo jumbo hocus pocus.'"Tristan_ mocked from the side. I slammed my open fist down on the hard surface of the desk nearly digging my nails in the wood and pushed myself up as my face flushed with uncontrolable anger.

"YUGI LOST?!" I yelled and forced down the feeling of shaking causing everyone to grow silent.. I lowered my head so that not even Mokuba could see my eyes as I realized I needed to rebound from this slip up. I had spent too much time perfecting my persona to look like I gave a crap now.

"Yugi gave his dueling _championship_ to some nobody? No one… Deserves that _title_ but me." I forced out what I hoped passed as shallow enough of an excuse for my rage but my voice was weak sounding even to me. Thinking of Yugi the softer, kinder, lighter and more innocent of the two that lived in his body and thinking of his soul being lost made some small part of me ache even though I was unfamiliar with such feelings. I didn't like these fools, but I didn't hate them. Except maybe the Mutt that is. But I respected Yugi, morose his other half but I didn't wish bodily harm to any of them.

"Hold on." The self proclaimed Pharaoh defended as he shot his ruby eyes at me for the first time. His voice was low and held none of his usual arrogance. I felt a rage boiling under my skin as I looked into his guilt filled eyes.

"I don't want to hear another word! You're a disgrace to the game _Yugi_." I sneered and then hung up the phone and balled my fists up. I ground my teeth as a few heated gasps escaped through clenched teeth. Mokuba turned towards me worried.

"Seto, you okay?" Mokuba chirped beside me as he reached out to touch my arm. I smiled as dark thoughts entered my head. Mostly consisting of torturing these biker idiots for messing with the wrong person.

"I'm fine I just have one more incentive to hunt down those thugs." I said in a vicious voice as I leaned up and began planning my next ten steps immediately. Just like a game of chess. Many thoughts flitted through my head and I forced them all into the back of my mind to deal with later. Right now I had to stay focused.

Aliyah's POV

Cairo, Egypt

I bared my teeth as I took a step back to put more space between me and the man standing in front of me. His face was shrouded by a thick black hood of the cloak he was wearing. I gripped my Rose tightly at my side trying to figure out how I had gotten myself in this situation while I tried not to panic.

I had only been in Egypt for a month now, since it was summer I had no school and I had saved money from my job for two years to be able to afford this trip. My ultimate goal was to go to Japan after I spent some time here trying to find the tomb where my mother had claimed to find me. So far I hadn't had any luck and about three weeks ago the world had gone to hell completely halting my search ane stopping me from being bale to buy a plane ticket out of this over heated wasteland.

I knew that shadow magic of some kind was at play, I was aware of my past enough by this point to recognize the feeling when monsters had started pouring out of the sky and attacking people though I couldn't imagine anyone strong enough to summon monsters all over the world…

Thankfully I had my deck, and with my powers more in control that they ever had been thanks to the Rose I was able to summon my own monsters to defend myself. I think that's the only reason I was still alive to be honest. People were dying everywhere, or rather falling into what seemed medically like a coma. But I knew better, someone was harvesting souls and I was making it my mission to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Your soul is pure, and strong." The man said as he advanced on me and I gulped and narrowed my eyes dangerously to try and ward him off. I was all for fighting monsters but I hated the thought of having to use my abilities on another human. I knew what I could do and I had vowed not to kill ever again.

"What's it to you creep?" I sneered as I glared at him and took another step back. He raised his head up and cast me a wicked grin that made him look like a mad man. I clenched my jaw and narrowed my eyes at this lunatic.

"I challenge you to a duel." He cackled as he threw his head back and lifted his arms to show a duel disk much like the one strapped on my own arm. I smirked, this was something I could handle as long as there was no shadow magic involved.

"If it's a duel you want then it's a duel you'll get old man." I said and walked back so that there was ample room to duel him. We both shuffled and then inserted our decks as he started. As he drew his hand he began to laugh minimally.

"What's so funny?" I asked annoyed as I looked over my own hand. Not really much to work with, a couple of low level monster and a monster reborn spell card. Then just a few healing magic cards, but nothing first turn worthy.

"Oh my heavens, oh my luck! On the first turn too… I play the Seal of Orichalcos." He shouted as he played the trap and the entire field was enveloped in blinding blueish green light.

(AROUND SIX TURNS LATER)

"Now that I have six light creatures in my graveyard I can special summon Alarious-The Radiant Beast and with the five hundred point power up he receives from the Seal of Orichalcos he has 3400 attack points. Since you're all out of monsters I think I will attack now!" The strange man screamed as I bit my lip. I was so tired, with every life-point lost I grew weaker and had less will to keep figting. I looked at my empty field, how had it come to this? My hand wasn't much better and I lowered my hands down to my side in defeat.

As the silvery tiger beast struck me directly it felt as if its teeth were actually slashing through my tender flesh and I crumpled to the ground and grabbed my heart. The Rose was still gripped tightly in my hand and I closed my eyes. If I was going to loose my soul no one could get their hands on this item. I closed my eyes and focused all of my energy to send it away. Hopefully to someone who would know what it meant.

"I WIN! I WIN! Your soul is mine!" he wailed as he jumped up and down with his evil grin. The Seal began to shrink and I felt one lone tear slip down my cheek and fall onto my balled up fist.

"If this is the last think I say… Atem, Seto..." With my last breath left unfinished everything began to go black as I felt my body slip away from me. The darkness enveloped me as I became lost.

Seto's POV

Later that night

Back in Japan

I paced the floors of my bedroom far too late into the night. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that people's souls were actually being captured by some secret organization to bring a great beast back to life. If Yugi's soul had been devoured by this beast was he too far gone already? I shook this thought off, of course that wasn't the case it simply couldn't be.

I thought back over how I had screamed at the other Yugi before I hung up the phone. I had called him a disgrace to the game but it was more than that. He was a disgrace as a duelist, as a friend, as a person. I wasn't exactly a good role model but I would have done things differently.

I knew that the _pharaoh_ was the one who did all the dueling. So that meant that he must have been the one to loose and the guilt that was in his crimson eyes was enough for me to draw this conclusion. That means his soul should have been the one that was lost, but instead it had been Yugi. That must have meant that Yugi tried to take his place, and if I had been in the spirits shoes I would have never let that happen. If I ever really had the opportunity to be a good friend-If I wanted friends that is- I would do the right thing.

This was the thought that kept nagging me, I might not be their friend… But I had the opportunity to do the right thing didn't I? I grabbed a fist full of my hair as I growled at myself for over thinking this. I tried to remember the last time I went out of my way for someone besides Mokuba, I mean really. Images of a ruby eyed girl entered my mind like a flood and I froze for a moment.

 _'Yes, I didn't do the right thing back then either.'_ I thought as I began pacing again. I hadn't even thought of Aliyah in at least three years. With the company and Mokuba and between trying to regain my championship title and occasionally help save the world from lunatics like Marik I hadn't had time to think of my past. But somehow it hurt me that I had forgotten about her.

" _Seto, promise me one thing...Make sure that you are happy."_

I jumped at the memory of her voice as she walked away from me for the last time. _Be happy_. What an absurd thought. My life was crazy, was there even room for happiness? I ran a hand through my tousled chestnut locks as I turned deciding that it would be wise to get a little sleep before I hunted the geek patrol down and offered my help.

As soon as my eyes found my bed I felt my eyes widen. Laying on the plush navy comforter was a golden item, much like the millennium rod but this was more like a flower. A rose to be percice, I grasped the delicate stem of this rod and lifted it up slowly. Somehow this was familiar but I couldn't remember where I had seen it before or how.

When my fingers touched the surprisingly warm metal I gasped, this energy I could feel pulsating through my whole body was so familiar. It brushed across my skin like a warm breeze and I closed my eyes letting one exhausted sigh escape my parted lips. A victorious grin stretched across my face. This was some kind of an omen, even if I didn't want to believe it. Now I had two of the millennium item's including the Eye of Ra and this… Rose.

August 15th 2015

Seto's POV

Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean

The three of us ran over the long stone like bridge down to a center pavilion where all the paths congregated. I panted, as did the others since we had been running for quite some time. My long legs ached from over use but we couldn't stop now.

Not long after I thought we had won against Dartz he had disappeared and joined his soul with the Great Leviathan. I was beyond pretending this was all just some cheep trick, the rose shaped rod I held in my left hand was proof of that but neither the Pharaoh or the Mutt commented on it. In fact the group of dweebs had been pretty understanding when I had tracked them down in America.

I had showed up at the Hawkin's trailer out in the middle of nowhere and with out any real words to explain myself they had merely welcomed me and Mokuba into their ranks just as they always did.

Well Wheeler had some words to say about how I had yelled at the Pharaoh when he was already pretty shaken. At first I had brushed the Mutts words of, they meant little to me but as the day had turned into weeks and I was forced to actually spend time with the spirit outside of dueling I began to feel bad. If only a tiny bit, it was just that he was obviously so hurt. It was like he wanted nothing more than to bow his head to defeat, yet he kept his chin up with dignity. I could respect that.

"He must be over there!" Yami, that's what he had started to call himself in Yugi's absence yelled as he pointed to the pavilion where what looked like Dartz sat upon a throne as still as stone and his skin glowing slightly. This drew me out of my own head and I nodded in silent agreement.

"Hey I think I see em' Just sitting there waiting to get crushed by the awesome threesome!" Wheeler shouted and I rolled my eyes. Thought he was getting on my nerves less as time passed he was still as dumb as dirt and I worried that his ignorance would rub off on me. I shivered at the thought of being as stupid as a dog as I trudged forward faster.

We came to a stair case and ran down it quickly to reach what was obviously the husk of what was left of Dartz. It didn't take a fool to realize he was no longer home. As we came to a stop a few feet in front of him all of us still panting and out of breath I scanned the environment for any threats.

"I thought this guy was creepy before." The Mutt gasped as he got a close look at the brittle skin of the glowing man that seemed to be almost fuzed with the throne he sat on. Yami walked up slowly ahead of us and reached one arm slowly out to touch the knee of the hollow man before us.

"Careful Yug..." Wheeler sighed and I twitched my eyes slightly. I'm not even nice and I had the respect to address him by the name he decided to go by. Did the Mutt not realize how rude it was to call him by Yugi's own name when Yugi wasn't even here… No of course he wouldn't he had the manners of a barn animal.

As Yami's hand came into contact with Dartz leg his whole physical form shattered into energy and light. The beams of light scattered wildly towards the sky before the faded into nothing. By this point I wasn't surprised anymore by this crap but that didn't mean I had a taste for this nonsense.

"Uh...Does somebody wanna fill me in?" Wheeler asked as he scratched his head nervously. Yami sighed as he turned his head upward to watch the last beams of light glitter away.

"Dartz must have somehow left his body behind." he rationalized and even though I agreed with him I found myself snorting as I took one step forward.

"Please it's just another one of his cheap tricks." I said and then sneered more to myself than anything. Old habits die hard I guess. Maybe I would always be an asshole, maybe I was just made that way.

"Is that you're answer for everything Kaiba? You really need a new catch phrase." Dartz voice sounded above us and we all turned around to find nothing there. I grit my teeth sick of these games. Why was saving the world never as easy as a game of chess?

"Where are you?" The Pharaoh asked sounding bitter and annoyed. I observed his face to see a rather impressive glare pointed at the sky as he waited for his answer. This was why he was the one I hated the least.

"I am here with the Great Leviathan." His voice echoed all around us and Yami balled his fist as he began to yell at the sky in anger. I could understand his anger, he was after all fighting for someone he loved and I could understand that better than anyone.

"Hold on Dartz, you told us your Leviathan couldn't awaken without the souls of the three chosen duelists!" his voice was shaking and his rage was barley controlled. The Mutt gulped beside me and I sneered at him before I returned my attention to Yami.

"Yes I did say that didn't I? But I replaced your souls with one equally as powerful. Mine!" As Dartz shouted this a beam of green energy shot into the Ocean below us and a massive whirlpool began to form below us. I watched the water cautiously as Wheeler yelled and began mutter the phrase _'Not good.'_ over and over.

Out of the center of the swirling water rose a great serpent like beast tthat was Burgundy and black. It had horns upon its head and empty yellow eyes. Its body stretched on forever and I noted that It was bigger than Obelisk.

"Fueled by the power of my soul the Great Beast has returned!"Dartz cackled maniacally as the serpent beast wove itself around the floating island platform we were on and the earth below out feet began to shake uncontrollably.

"This is nuts!" The Mutt yelled as he grabbed a support beam to keep his balance. Yami who lost his balance backed into me slightly to which I reached a steadying hand out and grabbed his shoulder and I myself leaned against a fallen beam with my other elbow. Yami nodded his thanks to me subtly and I looked into the enormous glowing pits that were this monsters eyes as it stared down at us.

"That thing could pick its teeth with an Egyptian God!" Wheeler shouted and I silently agreed to his statement. Yami frowned as he looked at his friend.

"And it is here to conquor mankind." He said solemnly and I frowned as well at his cryptic mood. It wasn't like we wern't aware of that fact.

"Wait what's that?" Joey pointed for the first time being useful as I asked what and followed his line of sight. On the head of the beast was the tiny body of Dartz imbedded within the monster skull. Yami shook his head as he explained that Dartz's soul must have been so powerful he literally merged forces as opposed to being devoured like the rest.

"That's it, I'm not just going to stand here and talk to some mutated hood ornament. I'm just going to blast you into next week!" I shouted only for Dartz to laugh at me. The beast roared and the air vibrated around us.

"I'd like to see you try!" Dartz shouted as the beast bared its head and opened its mouth wider showing a million razor sharp teeth.

"Alright bring it on you oversized stick in the grass."Joey said as his duel dist slid out and Yami and I followed his lead even though I took most of the credit for this idea. Yami summoned his Dark Magician, Summoned Skull and for some reason his Kuriboh while the Mutt summoned his Flame swordsman his Ginso and his Red eyes Black Dragon and I summoned my Blue eyes Ultimate Dragon and my Gadget Soldier and Force Raider.

"Now Timius" Yami yelled taking the lead as he held up the card that housed the spirit of his dragon.

"Along with the Fang of Critius!" I shouted as I too did the same.

"And the unstoppable Claw of Hermos!"Wheeler joined in at the last minute.

"ARISE!" we all screamed in unison as we summoned our legendary Dragons. Now with twelve monster between us it didn't seem so hopeless as we faced this Great Beast. The dragons roared mightily as they came forth in a brilliant light and I felt a smile pull at my lips.

"I play Legend Of Heart to reveal their true forms, the Legendary Knights of Atlantis!" Joey gasped as he looked at the regal faces of the knights before us, though I knew about this already it had come as quite a surprise when I had first realized it.

"No kidding Yug, their really Knights?" he asked and I ignored his questions as did Yami. He raised his arms and shouted for the attack. It didn't bother me too much to let him be in control to my surprise. Somehow it felt normal to stand beside him in battle like this. My life was really going to hell wasn't it?

The knights charged forward followed by the rest of our monsters as they attacked but it proved useless as Dartz taunted us from above. I wiped sweat from my brow as I stared at the sight above. This didn't detour us though as we continued to attack and continued to fail.

"No way all those attacks and not one scratch? It makes no sense!" I asked in bewilderment as I shielded my eyes from a bright blast. Yami narrowed his eyes not ready to surrender and neither was I, but we were all shaken.

"It gets worse cause I think its that things turn to attack us..." The Mutt utter hopelessly and I shot him a look that said it wasn't time to tuck our tails between our legs just yet. As Leviathan charged a mega blast Yami ordered Timius to absorb his Big shield Gardna and create a shield to protect us but he was running out of monsters to use. All our other monsters were destroyed as the knights shielded us from harm.

"Leviathan is too strong!" Yami yelled as he covered his face. I growled this was no time to give up damn it. The beast began to fly up into the sky seeing how the three night stood little chance of making a dent. I tried to ignore the nagging feeling that we were going to fail. That I was going to fail.

We all summoned another round of monsters to stand between us and the beast though I was beginning to doubt it would do us any good anymore. It was this gnawing doubt that was scaring me the most. I had never doubted myself even in hopeless situations I couldn't start now. Our hoard of monsters went in for yet another attack only for it to do nothing and I grunted in disappointment.

Before long we found ourselves lost completely. All of our monster diminished and our knights destroyed. We were literally sucked in by the great Leviathan so it could use our life force and continue destroying the world.

I was surrounded by darkness and felt more alone that I had ever felt. Regrets suddenly flooded me as I thought about all of the things I hadn't done yet and all the mistakes I had made. Funnily enough most of the things on my list were stupid, childish things that I had missed out of for the sake of raising Mokuba.

Not that I regretted taking care of him for one second. I wanted him to have the best childhood possible I just wish that somehow I had gotten to have a childhood of my own. I promised myself if I ever got out of here I try and figure out who I really was and what I wanted out of life. But I felt hopeless as this emptiness drained me completely.

"Everyone listen." A voice yelled across the darkness and I snapped my head up, was that Yami? Had he been devoured too? Along with Yugi who we had only just gotten back to safety. Was this my destiny to be eaten by an over sized worm?

"Each one of us is a glimmer of light in these shadows." His voice rang out crystal clear across this vast darkness and I strained to hear him better. A glimmer of light he says, that was rubbish. All I knew how to do was deceive and destroy there was nothing light about me.

"Alone we may seem insignificant but combined together we radiate enough light to conquer this darkness." He spoke as if he were speaking directly to me, like he felt my hopelessness and sorrow and was trying to lift me up. I imagined a golden goblet in my mind and holding it stood the pharaoh as his hair waved wildly in the wind and his eyes were closed with a graceful look on his face. He sounded at peace for the first time.

"Now please, if you can hear me focus on the light within your heart. Its the only way to save ourselves," He pleaded desperately and I found myself searching for something. Anything good in my heart. Was beginning to believe I belonged in this hell before I found a small shivering little flicker of hope within myself. I loved. I loved Mokuba and I loved Aliyah even if it had been years and even though I abandoned her my heart still throbbed at the thought. The Rose in my hand began to glow.

"Seto." A voice whispered as a girl appeared before me. She was beautiful, and at first that was the only coherent thing I could think. Then slowly as the wheels in my head began to turn and I began to notice some of her features. Even in this darkness I could see her Crimson eyes shining brightly as she stared at me softly. Her midnight and violet multicolored hair swooped down to her waist and her golden bangs swept over her eyes and gently caressed the bridge of her nose. She was short compared to me and very thin, but I recognized her immediately.

"Aliyah." I muttered as I stared at her in shock. She smiled and held out her hand towards me. Light began to radiate around her and I raised my hand towards her and smiled. Against all odds she was here with me in this my darkest hour. All the distance and time was nothing, she helped me find this light within myself and I raised my arm to let our light mingle together. The rose appeared in her hands but I looked down to see the Millennium rod grasped firmly in my own hand.

Her cloths changed to beautiful Egyptian garments that were lavender and I realized that I too was suddenly wearing priest robes. Memories flooded me from a life I could no longer deny I lived but I had no time to sort through them.

"Remember those you care about." Yami's voice said from all around and we both looked around. _'Ayla.'_ I recited her Egyptian name in my head as I remembered her from a life long since passed.

"Atem." She guessed as she tilted her chin towards the Pharaoh's voice and I thought about it, with these memories flooding through my head I could remember my former Pharaohs name but I shook my head.

"He goes by Yami now." I whispered as we waited for him to keep speaking and she nodded silently. I watched her watch me, with this emotion in her eyes that nearly floored me with its intensity. There was obviously love but there was also so much pain. The same pain that I remembered from our childhood and I wanted nothing more than to make that pain dissapear.

"Remember those who have helped you." he carried on sounding so sure with the voice of a true leader. I thought back to all the times that he had helped me. Not just him but Yugi and the whole group of dweebs. I thought of Mokuba and even of some of the kind nuns from the orphanage we grew up in.

"remember what you fought for and remember why you never gave up." He shouted and I balled my fists. I couldn't give up, I could never give up I had far too much to live for. What was I thinking letting myself wallow in this darkness. I had to fight!

"My strength, take it… BEFORE I LOSE IT ALL FOR GOOD!" I heard the desperate voice of Joey Wheeler shout from somewhere deep within this void and I raised my hand in agreement. Aliyah did the same as we both shouted in desperation.

"Take mine too, and don't screw this up Pharaoh!" I yelled standing next to his sister proud that for once I was making the right choice. One glance into her shinning eyes was all it took to be sure about that.

"Destroy this demon so that we can all one day live and be happy!" Aliyah yelled and white light enveloped everything for a moment as we held out rods up to the sky to channel our energy. In the distance I could see Yami floating as his millennium puzzle began to glow brightly. His eyes were closed as all the energy was absorbed into him. When he opened his eyes he was dressed in his Pharaohs garnets and as regal as ever. Yugi was stood behind him with his hands held high to provide his energy as well.

"In the name of the Pharaoh awaken from your ancient slumber and come forth the three Gods of Egypt!" he shouted as Sliffer the Sky Dragon, The Winged Dragon of Ra and Obelisk the Tormentor were summoned in an array of multicolored light. I stood in awe at the sheer power of the gods and grabbed Aliyah's hand beside me. She cast me a ghost of a smile as her focus stayed on her brother.

Suddenly we were jerked apart as I began to float back to the ground. I reached for her as our hands slipped apart.

"No!" I yelled as she reached for me but within a second she was gone. I closed my eyes as grief hit me like a brick wall and when I opened them I was back on the ground next to Yami and Joey standing before the great beast.

"Aliyah..." I whispered and the Mutt shot me a weird look but otherwise no one paid me any mind. I raised the millennium rod up and looked at it closely. This was my proof that everything that just happened was real. She was really here, for a moment. And I had really been an ancient priest, I had served Atem. He was my best friend and I had loved his sister more than life it self, how funny it was that we met as children in this life. Destiny was a strange thing and I was just getting used to it. _'I will find you. I will always find you.'I I vowed silently_

"Pharaoh." Yugi gasped from behind us and I whipped my head around to see him standing in a body of his own. Or his own body that is, I suppose it would be Yami who had magically been granted a body. Yami turned for only a second to shoot Yugi a brilliant smile of triumph before he turned and commanded the Gods to attack.

There was a massive blinding light as all three Egyptian gods attacked at one and Leviathan was enveloped in this light until it was decentigrated. Instead of fading away the light began to shoot across the world in beams of light as souls were returned to their bodies all across the world. I smiled at the thought that somewhere Aliyah was safe.

"You did it!" Yugi yelled as he ran up and threw his arms around his near double. Yami's body was still taller and his skin was several shades darker than Yugi's. He was still wearing his Egyptian garb and upon inspecting myself I was happy to find I was back in my ostentatious trench coat and leather pants.

I watched the two as they were able to actually touch each other for the first time while hugging and found that I was unable to sneer at the thought. Maybe these dweebs were rubbing off on me after all, and was that really the worst thing in the world?

Suddenly the ground began to shake violently as if the whole structure was going to crumble beneath our feet and so we ran again even though my legs were aching.

Hours later.

"Kaiba, thank you." Yami suddenly said as he sat down next to me on the small personal jet. I turned away from the window and smirked at him but I nodded none the less. He accepted this form of a 'you're welcome' and leaned back against the seat. I found myself fiddling idly with the millennium rod as I tried to sort out what to say.

"You never said where you got that? Though I recall you having a completely different item before." He asked as he motioned towards the golden rod I held. I lifted it slightly as I sighed. Might as we just be honest about it, I didn't feel like I had anything to hide anyways after what we had just went through.

"I did, It was the Millennium Rose. It appeared out of no where a few days ago and even though at the time I had no idea what it was I took it as a sign. A sign that it was the right thing to do to help you. When we were trapped in the belly of the beast and I was surrounding to the darkness Aliyah came to me. I guess maybe she must have been trapped by Dartz too. She is the owner of the rose, she is your sister Yami." I tried to explain but he gave me a bewildered look as he looked up from the rod.

"What? How would you even know that?" He stuttered as his eyes widened at the thought. Yugi looked over at us and I noticed most everyone was subtly paying attention and I sighed again.

"While we were all trapped, she came to me. I gave her the rose back and then the rod appeared. As soon as it was in my hands I remembered everything..." I said as I looked at my lap. There was too much going through my head to try and explain what I meant but Yami gasped.

"Wait are you saying what I think you're saying Money-Bags?" Wheeler asked sounding almost petulant and I was reminded of why I really didn't like him. Yugi smiled but the Pharaoh's brow knit up.

"believe what you want Mutt but I know the truth." I snapped and this made Joey laugh as he patted me on the back. I glared up at him for daring to put his filthy hand on me but he didn't even notice.

"Ah Kaiba, a believer at last!" He yelled as he made a victory sign. I rolled my eyes before losing them and leaning my head back to try and tune out the meaningless chatter.

"Is this true Seto?" Mokuba asked quietly from behind me and I turned to him slowly nodding. He sat there contemplating what I was telling him for a moment before nodding to himself.

"I always knew she was special." he finally concluded and I smiled at him knowing what he meant. Yes she was and I would find her.

"Wait there's a She?" Gardener asked with a coy look and took a deep breath. This conversation was not going the direction I had originally hopped.

"Kaiba has a girl friend! Who would have guessed it." Tristan yelled out as him and the Mutt began dancing and I resisted the urge to bang my head against the glass window. Yami was still obviously deep in thought and Yugi had shifted to crouch down next to him on the aisle of the jet.

"I am not even going to dignify you with a response you mongrel."I snarled as I turned away from them all effectively ending the conversation. I knew when we returned to Japan there as gong to be a lot of talking to do but right now I wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. I felt like I hadn't slept in days. But even when I returned home I had a million things to do including reestablish my utter and complete control over my company and begin searching for Aliyah. I was struggling to figure out which of the options needed to be handled first.

AN: Alright guys, so there is chapter One. Getting us into modern time. I am disregarding the whole memory arc for now though I may bring it in later with some obvious tweaks to the storyline. So what did you guys think? Was it great or awful? Please review! I love you all.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter three

Seto's POV

As soon as I crossed the threshold of my home and stepped into the massive living room I proceeded to ignore my guests as I threw myself onto the plush sofa and groaned out a sigh and I closed my eyes. Mokuba remained standing as did the Pharaoh and his look alike Yugi. I forced myself to ignore them and tried to clear my racing thoughts.

"Seto are you okay?" Mokuba asked as he touched my shoulder in response to my slightly over dramatic behavior. Truth be told in the private of my own home I relaxed quite a bit in comparison to how I held myself while at work. Speaking of work I was reminded that I would be spending many long nights trying to regain control over my company. I groaned and sat back up to face the slightly amused if not bewildered looks from Yami and the shrimp.

"I'm fine Mokuba…" I said as I ran a shaky hand through my hair to brush it out of my eyes while I thought.

"First things first, I'll have to host a press conference to rebuke the allegations that Kaiba Corp played any part in all this nonsense. I can't have my stocks dropping anymore than they already have lest I'll be forced to file bankruptcy and loose the company." I spoke in a monotonous voice mostly to myself as I stood up and began to pace in front of the long elegant glass coffee table.

"Kaiba don't you think there are more important things that we need to focus on besides Kaiba Corp?" Yami narrowed his eyes as he watched me . I glared daggers at him.

" Of course I know there are more important things but you of all people should understand that I won't put aside my responsibilities no matter how much I want to." I said a my gaze shifted over to my little brother who shot me a sheepish smile as he drooped his bangs over his steel colored eyes.

Yami nodded what I assumed was his approval to my statement as he too began to pace around. I hadn't told him much on he plane ride home, deciding instead that I should wait until we disposed of the rest of the nerd heard at their respective homes. This was a more private matter in my opinion.

"Okay so you say that Yami has a sister, and that her name is Aliyah…"

"In Egypt her name was Ayla." I interjected Yugi as he decided to begin the real matter at hand and why I even allowed the brat in my house in the first place. He smiled at my cooperation while Yami snapped his head up with slightly widened eyes.

"Ayla… that sounds so familiar." The pharaoh whispered as he fiddled with the puzzle that hung from the thick chains around his neck. This was a good sign if he could remember that would be less I had to explain.

"She was two years younger than you, I met you both when I was ten and began my priest training. She was along side me being trained under Isis while I was trained by Mahadoh." I said hoping that I would spark a memory but he just crinkled his brow and retreated into deep thought.

"So the two of you were close before?" Yugi asked as he sat down on the large sofa now the only one sitting.

"She was my wife." I muttered around a lump that appeared in my throat. Yugi's eyes widened even larger than his already doe like saucers while Mokuba coughed awkwardly. Yami however seemed unfazed by this information and his eyes were clouded over.

" You said that you knew her in this life as well?" he finally spoke up lifting his sharp crimson eyes to meet my own. I nodded and began to explain how I had found her when we were just children outside of the orphanage. I left out personal details but told them how she had been alone in the woods for some time. I described in detail how she acted and spoke, and without realizing it I engaged in a full on story as I waved my arms around to show emphasis on my words and found the corners of my lips turning up as I told them everything I could remember about Aliyah Williams. Yami listened with a smile on his face and he sat down next to Yugi to listen as Mokuba sent one of the maids to bring tea for all of us.

By the time the two finally decided to return to their game shop it was already late in the evening. I sent them in a limo as Yugi yawned and pulled on the pharaohs arms to tug him out of the door.

"Thank you Kaiba, I feel one step closer to finding my memories." He said as he reached his free hand out and squeezed my forearm. I grunted as I nodded and he started to leave only to stop and turn around.

"Kaiba, you did good today my friend." He said with a cheerful smirk and I narrowed my eyes in discomfort at his complement. He laughed as we parted and agreed to meet back up in a few days when everyone had more time to rest and I had time to prepare myself for the hell I had awaiting me at Kaiba corp.

"Mokuba, are you hungry?" I asked as I found him lounging on the couch half asleep. It was that late, but things had been so hectic lately and he had been a trooper through all the stress. I decided I would have to find time to spend with him, no KC, no psyco-maniacs trying to destroy the word.

"Yeah!" He said cheerfully as he jumped-up from the couch suddenly full of energy. I allowed him to grab my hand and tug me out of the living room and into the elegant dining room that clearly never got the use it deserved seeing as how dinner parties just really weren't my thing. In fact anything even remotely social was out of the question unless it was mandatory or would help boost my sales.

"That's it." I whispered as I began thinking over the logistics of my plan already as I sat at the head of the table while Mokuba walked into the kitchen to presumably instruct the cook to make dinner. By the time he returned I was already well into creating a guest list and running budget estimates in my head.

"Okay big bro spill." Mokuba demanded making me loose track of the numbers I was crunching. I looked up at him surprised , he had one hand on his hip and I pointed look reminding me as he does everyday just how much he looks like our beloved mother. I sighed deeply and ran a hand through my already tousled hair.

"I was thinking about hosting a dinner party here to help rebuild our credibility and get the company's profited in a upward incline once more. Everyone is scared after seeing giant monsters flying around and many people feel uncomfortable with the idea of duel monsters right now. What better way to remind our share holders of our reputation than a party. Normal people like parties right?" I furrowed my brow at the last part unintended as a question. I hated parties, but then again I wasn't normal by any standings. I watched as Mokuba's mouth twitched as he tried to keep a serious face Only for him to fail and start laughing so hard he had to lean against a chair for support. I glared at him until he sobered up enough to give me an apologetic look.

"That is fine and dandy but you know that's not what I want to talk about Seto." He said as he raised an eye brow at me and took a seat on the right of me where he always sat. I took another shaky breath and mentally reprimanded myself for my unsteady emotions. What would Gozoburoh think of me if he saw me now shaking in my ridiculously expensive leather boots like a child. I closed my eyes and willed down the demons that always threatened my unconscious thoughts and faced my little brother.

"How am I suppose to know what to do?" I asked as I stared into his stormy eyes. One brow became two as he returned my gaze with pure surprise. Surely I had never asked for his advice before. I was the adult, I raised him and had counseled him countless times as he grew older.

"Well I'll need you to tell me what happened if you want me to help bro. I mean I understand why you don't talk to me about how you feel, but I'm older now and I promise I can take it. Besides, all of this stuff with the millennium items and Egypt and even you bringing up Ally out of nowhere, this is big Seto. Too big for you to shoulder all on your own." He said as he crossed his arms loosely on the surface of the table and I snapped my jaw shut as I realized it had slipped open while he was talking.

"I don't know where to start." I admitted as I turned my head away from his soft eyes. He reached a hand out across the table and placed it over my own that was still firmly grasped around the millennium rod. I flicked my gaze and marbled at the perfect golden surface still just a majestic now as it was three thousand years ago. It still felt the same, the only thing different was me.

"Why don't you start with this." He said and squeezed my hand a little making me give a tentative smile in response. Taking what I hoped t be my last anxious breath I began sorting through all the jumbled memories that had been flooding my mind since the battle had been won.

"I was given the rod when I was twelve, I had been moved to the castle to begin my priest training. Of course I didn't get it right away I had to work endless hours day in and out to prove myself worthy of the gods gifts. My teacher presented me with the rod on my birthday and from there the real training began. With this rod and the grace of the gods I was granted many blessings including the ability to find those whose souls contained powerful shadow monsters, the ability to look into ones heart and see however dark or light they might be. I could call forth armies of monsters at my pharaohs command." I spoke in a proud voice almost automatically only barley catching my tone at the end. Mokuba who though he looked slightly perplexed by my explanation smiled encouragingly for me to continue.

"Turns out Yami, the pharaoh was my best friend. Who would have figured that. Ayla was his sister, she was the pride of Egypt and treated as such. It took a lot of begging to get her brothers permission to wed her." I chuckled at the memory of the only time I ever willfully bent knee and begged for anything.

"And Ayla, that's Aliyah?" He asked as the kitchen door swung open and one of my many maids emerged pushing a small cart with our dinner. I waited until after she placed the delicious food in front of us, steak for myself with a side of roasted herb potato's and a small side salad while Mokuba had a greasy looking over loaded cheese burger and a double serving of fries with gravy. I grimaced at his choice of food while I took a bite of my own and sighed in content before I cleared my throat and answered.

"Yes, apparently so." I said thoughtfully as I made comparisons in my mind. I met Aliyah around the same age as when I met her ancestor. Thinking about it now it was clear as day. Same beautiful hair that did look a lot like what I imagine Yami's would look like if it didn't magically defy gravity. The same stunning crimson eyes that were once again nearly identical to her brothers. But there were also some major differences, Aliyah was… broken when we were children. I never really got the whole story but there were things that defined her as an individual, traits she didn't have in the past. She seemed perpetually sad for starters, with good reason and she was always angry. Traits we seemed to share in this life. But what did I know about her now?

"So when did you start believing in all of this, I mean I know things got crazy there for a while but really haven't tings been crazy since… well you know." He said as his voice lowered and e looked away and bit his lip. Yes I knew what he was referring to, Death-T. The day I almost killed him, the very same day that I almost destroyed myself had it not been for Yami who had looked into my heart and saw the child inside who felt nothing but fear and had shattered my mind and heart, only to leave me to pick up the pieces. I released the fork I was holding only to flip my hand over and squeeze his back. Neither of us needed to go there today, it was something we pretended didn't happen. It was better that way.

"I was a fool." I said quietly and smiled at him until he reluctantly returned the smile and then took a giant bite of his burger. I also indulged in another bite of the first fine cooked food I had had in weeks since I had been on the road with the nerd heard.

"So does this mean everything changes now?" He finally asked between bites. I thought about it before I sat my silverware down and wiles my mouth with a napkin.

"This just means that I change. Nothing else had to be different, but I can't just go back to the same old Kaiba now. Not knowing what I know, not after seeing Aliyah again and knowing. I don't even fully grasp what I know, I just do now. I'm still sorting through it." I said thoughtfully as he nodded.

"That makes sense I guess. What's it like? I mean Yami doesn't have his memories yet right? What's it like to know that its all true?" He asked quietly and kept his attention on his food.

" I feel like I have two whole lives crammed into one head which is true. I feel different, I'm not he same as I was then or now. I'm some mixture of the two, but his thoughts are there inside, I mean there my thoughts, but its like I know what the me from the past would do." I said just as quietly pushing my plate away only half finished.

"Well what is he saying?" He asked looking at me for the first time since he began eating and I realized he was already done. I looked at the rod laying peacefully on the table and balled my fist.

"That I have to find her." I said and closed my eyes trying to quell the ache in my chest. My emotions were crazy now and all over the place. Something I wasn't used to anymore. Sure I had cared about her when we were kids, hell I might have even loved her but now it was completely different, now I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I needed to find her.

Aliyah's POV

The first thing I was aware of as I came into consciousness was that my head was pounding quickly followed by a wave of nausea. My hand flew up and wiped a sweat from my brow as I groaned and tried to sit up.

"Whoa take it easy princess." Spoke a velvety voice with a thick accent as tan well toned arms reached out and helped me to sit up. I looked up to push away the intruder only to loose my balance and accept the gesture this stranger was offering to help me sit. Once my back was firmly against the cool surface of the stone wall behind me I glared at the strange boy who stood before me.

He had bleach blonde hair that was wild and uncombed and wore a tight fitting leather shirt and black pants. His violet eyes were mischievous and I only deepened my hatful look as he laughed.

"My name is Marik Ishtar." Be said as he held out his hand. The name sounded familiar but I was absolutely positive I didn't know him. I began to take in my surroundings wanting to ask where was but I found my voice completely gone. Something that happened when I felt threatened.

"I found you passed out baking in the sun, Ra only knows how long you were out there… I brought you here and my sister helped me patch you up. Looks like whoever you decided to tango with beat the crap out of you." He said in the most non-threatening voice he could probably muster and my eyes widened.

"What?" I demanded casting him a desperate look. He sat down in a chair that was next to the makeshift bed composed of a really comfortable mattress on a frame and pushed into a corner.

"Ishizu said that you had a broken rib and a lot of bruises. You were out for a little over two weeks. Do you remember what happened?" he asked and I shifted my shoulders and gasped as pain shot through my chest, proving that my ribs were indeed broken. Great.

"I lost a duel, some crazy card was played and I was told the looser lost their soul. But no hand was laid on me while I was awake." I said slowly still not sure if I trusted this boy, he looked about my age and harmless enough but there was just something about him that unsettled me.

"Whew those are some high stakes girl. Why would you play a duel like that?" He asked In a. Condescending voice as he laughed. I shifted uncomfortably.

"I didn't have a choice." I sighed finally and leaned my head back but kept my eyes on this Marik.

"Well you got lucky, a few more hours out there and you wouldn't have been." He said seriously giving me what looked like a scrutinizing look. I eyed him cautiously as I tried to get comfortable.

"Well thanks I guess." I muttered awkwardly only making him laugh again.

"I wouldn't be doing my job very well if I left you to roast in the sun now would I?" he asked confusing me thoroughly. When he saw the look I was giving him he stood and began to lift his shirt up. Alarm bells sounded in my head immediately as I struggled to scoot as far away from him as I could. Seeing my panicked look he quickly discarded the garment and turned around dropping to his knees to face away from me. It took me a moment to calm my breathing and actually look at what he was trying to how me. On his back were a series of tattoos that I recognized. Ad soon as I made the connection I gasped taking such a deep breath that I hurt myself.

"Ishtar, the sworn guardians of the Pharaohs tomb and the millennium items…" I whispered. He stood quickly and returned his shirt making no comment on my near panic attack.

"Its my honor to meet you princess. My sister told me much about you and the pharaoh though I have to say that he isn't quite what I expected." He laughed and my eyes widened as I leaned forward.

"You know my brother?" I gasped as he nodded and felt a smile begin to form for the first time in months. I wasn't even sure if everything that happened after I passed out was real. Seeing Seto again and finding out my brother was here in this time while he was busy fighting for our lives, it all seemed surreal.

"Yes Princess we know your brother. I actually planned to take you too him once you woke and are better healed and able to travel." A familiar voice spoke suddenly and I looked at the doorway to find a face I thought I would never see again. In all her Egyptian glory, with luscious black hair swooping down to the center of her back and her almost caramel sun kissed skin. Even the millennium necklace still clasped around her neck just like I remembered. The only real difference is that she now wore modern clothes.

"Isis!" I gasped as a smile broke out across my tender sunburned face. She returned my smile as she walked into the room gesturing for Marik to leave. He grunted but did as he was told muttering under his breath the whole way.

"Now there is a name I haven't had the pleasure of heating in a very long time." She chuckled softly, he accent was thicker than Marik's but I could still clearly understand what she was saying and I realized suddenly that we were speaking Arabic, the language of our people.

"Who was that?" I asked once I was sure that the strangle boy with the funny hair was out of earshot before I spoke. She smiled and touched her necklace.

"It seems that not all things stay the same, Marik is my baby brother. he is the youngest of three though our brother died a few years back." She said and I frowned apologetically.

"What do you mean not all things stay the same?" I asked and grabbed my side as more pain waved through my chest

"Just that time is fluid and subject to change. Marik for instance and the youngest Kaiba are proof of that. They are just as much a part of the gods plan as you are, though they played no part in our ancient past." She said smiling and I thought about her words. Where did I recognize that name from?

"Kaiba?" I questioned and she touched he necklace before she spoke.

"Yes, The former priest, it would seem that he is quite worried about you from the looks of things. I see that he has had his memories along with the millennium rod returned to him." She spoke softly with her chocolate colored eyes glazed over and I knew she was looking into the future but her words made my breath catch.

"Seto." I managed to choke out as I looked at my shaking hands. I wasn't sure how I felt about how fast things seemed to be progressing. I mean sure it was my ultimate goal to find my brother since I saw him on television and I had been sure that would lead me to Seto as well but I hadn't prepared myself for it in the last bit. Seeing him in that place while I was unconscious was different, I had been in darkness for so long that I had given up hope and to see him so suddenly along with having my brother right there had been thrilling and terrifying all at the same time but there had been no time to stop and process those feelings.

"I have his phone number but sadly I do not have a way too contact the pharaoh. Would you like me to contact him for you? With his influence I'm sure he could have a jet out here to bring you to Domino within a day?" She asked as her eyes glazed over again. I shook my head. I wasn't ready for that just yet.

"Maybe I should get some rest first. Maybe I could just go and find Atem on my own once I'm healed. I'm not ready to see Seto." I said quietly. She nodded softly and touched my shoulder gently.

"As you wish Princess. But from what I can see you will stay no longer than three nights. Here." She said confidently as she handed me a folded piece of paper. I gave her a questioning glance but didn't open it.

"You'll need it. But first you need something to eat and a hot bath. Then you probably need to rest." She said in a mothering gone and I smiled as she offered to help me stand. Once I had my footing she lead me out of the tiny room and down the hall into a small dinning room where food was already laid out on the table. Marik was eating an apple in the corner with a sulky look but Isis ignored him and I followed her lead and sat down. She told me to eat what I wanted and I found that I was actually quite famished. I filled a plate with grapes and nuts while she placed a sandwich on a small saucer in front of me and I dug in.

"Thank you Isis." I smiled at her and she shook her head.

"My pleasure but you can call me Ishizu, it has been a long time since I have been called Isis." She said as she began cleaning my mess. I tried to stand to help her while her back was turned towards the sink only to once again loose my footing and begin to fall.

"Gotcha." Marik said softly in my ear as he laced his arms around me from behind and caught me. I blushed and pushed him away roughly not liking how his hands felt against my overly full stomach. He threw his hands up in surrender and raised is brow but said nothing about my skittish behavior.

"Come Princess follow me I'll draw a nice hot bath for you." Ishizu said cheerfully ignoring the awkwardness between her brother and I. I limped my way past him and followed her back down the hall and into a large bathroom where a tub carved in stone sat in the center of the room. She began running hot water and pouring oils and soaps into the water until it smelled heavenly.

Once she had departed closing the door behind her I began peeling off my sweat dried cloths off surprised at how crispy they were from the sand and the sun. jumped into the steaming waters and lowered myself down to where the water cascaded over my face. Holding my breath for as lo g as I could before sitting up and gasping for breath I sighed as my aching muscles began to relax just a little.

I was able to lay peacefully in the water for long enough to nearly rift to sleep before I forced myself up to wash my hair and make sure to get any left over sand off my skin.

When I was done the water was Luke warm and my fingers and toes were shriveled and pruned and quickly put on the long cream colored robes Ishizu left for me so that my cloths could be and began to dry my hair with the towel. I looked at myself in the mirror surprised at how tan I was and how much brighter it made my eyes.

As I stared at myself in these Egyptian clothes I was reminded of a younger me, from many lifetimes ago and as I watched this version of myself I imagined Seto standing behind me with a hand placed gently on my shoulder.

"I'll find you." I could hear him whisper, in a much different voice, ragged and pleading. I closed my eyes willing the painful memory of our last moments before my death away. I wasn't ready to face the feelings coming to light now that I knew he was just a phone call away.


	4. Chapter 4

AN) I own nothing but my OC. Sorry for the delay in updating, I was working on my other story which I also just updated. Enjoy and please review and follow if you like and there will be more where this came from.

Chapter Four

Aliyah's POV

Blood. Everywhere my hands touched blood seeped across the floor, walls, what was left of them at least. I crawled around aimlessly scooting across the cool marble floor smearing more of the crimson liquid across myself leaving a slimy sensation as I shivered. Not from cold, the summer air even at night was hot and the blood was still fresh, warm.

My wrists trembled under the weight of my own body and I slouched in defeat with a earsplitting thud as my head smashed against the floor.

"Seto…Atem…" I gasped as I reached forward hopelessly.

Honestly they were nowhere in sight, still yards away next to the throne and I silently cursed the grandness of the throne room. My fingers brushed against something warm and I felt a surge of energy wash over me.

I grasped the millennium rose tightly and heaved myself up onto my shaky legs. I was soaked from head to toe in red and was grateful when thunder clouds rushed overhead nearly at my demand. I was more in control now with my rose at my side. I could feel my emotions under control and a fierce determination replaced my sorrow and fear. Only the blinking anger stayed.

I faced forward and surveyed the massacre before me. The blood stretched across the entire room nearly no floor left clean.

Bodies lied scattered and torn to pieces, I spotted Atem stumbling to his feet near the throne. Most of his golden jewelry had fallen off and his clothes were torn. The wind blew through thee ruined walls of he throne room and billowed through his chaotic hair. He scowled towards the enemy and touched the puzzle that still hung around his neck.

Bakura smirked as he faced Atem. And was once again hit with a deep rooted anger toward the bastard. I tried to pretend that it had nothing to do with his betrayal and that he had always been this evil monster but I shook my head knowing that was a lie. I knew this day was going to come, he

chosen this path after all but a very small part of me wished that he was still the same boy he had been when we were kids.

Something touched my shoulder ever so gently but alarm bells were already ringing in my mind and I spun swinging the Rose as hard as I could. The sharp petals served as a decent weapon when I was rendered powerless or too in range of my attackers.

I hadn't even had time to react as I watched one sharp blade like golden petal sink into the shoulder of my husband.

Seto's eyes widened in shock and he opened his mouth to speak only for blood to rush up his throat and out of his mouth in a little river. He gargled as he began to fall forward into my shocked arms. I screamed and all was black as Bakura maniacal laughter filled my mind.

Tears dripped down my cold face and I had no control as I shot forward and grabbed the blankets I was tangled in and screamed at the top of my lungs, followed by several sharp gasps as I tried to regain my control. After a moment my gasps became sobs and my whole frame shook violently under there wake.

I was dimly aware of the lights coming on and I could feel the ghost of touch against my shoulders but I was so deeply into my own mind that I could not understand these external senses. I counted to seven thousand and thirty eight before my sobs ebbed into shallow intakes of breath, I took note of each sense as I came back into control of myself. It was a painfully slow process to force myself to function when I was having such a severe anxiety attack. It was nearly impossible to rein my emotions in. First I could hear a familiar voice half panicked and half soothing but couldn't quite make out the words out over my own blubbering and eventually that stopped. Soon after I could feel the warmth of touch again my sticky sweaty skin rubbing circles on my shoulder.

Then some time later after I could see, once the room stopped spinning and the lights became brighter I could see Marik's worried face, he had circles under his eyes and looked exhausted.

Another ten minutes of this awkward exchange as we stared and I found myself willing to speak. He sat silently while he waited.

"I'm sorry to be a burden" I said as I shifted my eyes down, I was fully aware of the fool I just made of myself. I knew how bad my panic attacks could be and especially after that dream… a chill rolled down my spine at the thought. He cracked a bewildered smile and rose an eye brow inquisitively at me.

"that's what you're worried about?" he chuckled and removed his hand that was still on my shoulder. I moved a comfortable three inches away from him but he made no comment on my actions.

"on a serious note princess, are you okay?" He asked looking deeply into my eyes and I sighed. Might as well get this over with, it was bound to happen again.

"I had a nightmare. Then I had an anxiety attack. But I've learned how to… cope I guess." I said with a shrug even as my stomach pinched uncomfortably at the nonchalant tone I had used. His brow wrinkled together a fraction.

"If that's what you call coping." He finally said and shook his head making his dusty golden locks bounce ever so slightly. I bit my lip too tight and started putting more focus on my breathing. He sat dutifully beside me.

"do you want to talk about it?" He asked and I shifted bringing my knees to my chest.

"Not really. Where is Ishizu?" I asked to change the subject. I was begging to get anxious just because I had been alone with him for so long now.

"If she has any sense she's sleeping." He laughed dryly. Smirked slightly but it was empty of humor.

"That bad?" I asked peeking up at him through my blonde bangs. He nodded dead serious and I sighed and looked at the watch on my wrist was four thirty in the morning. God only knows how long my episode actually lasted.

"I think you should call Kaiba." He said bluntly and it caught me off guard. I made a face unsure of the flutter of nerves his mentioning caused in my gut.

"It's really none of your business." I barked crossing my arms over my chest and glared. He smirked before he stood and stretched offering a hand to help me stand. Knowing I would get no more sleep I accepted his offer.

"At any rate you kept saying his name. For a minute there when I first ran in the room and found you screaming you though I was him. You grabbed at me and then started sobbing." He said looking out the stone window. My jaw snapped shut, of course I had.

"I can't." I admitted so quietly I wasn't sure he heard me until he turned to watch me and I inspected the floor. He sighed when he looked back out the window at the star filled sky. Far across the horizon were pink lines as the sun began to peek over the sand dunes.

" Not so long ago I made the wrong choice. Regret is far worse than the fear." He said just as quiet and I watched his back and stared at the intricate pattern of his tattoos. Just when I thought he wasn't going to elaborate he turned with a sheepish guilty look and I didn't understand the apology in his gaze.

" I spent my whole life here, in Egypt and back then we didn't live in a house like this. We lived in underground temples near the tomb of the pharaoh. I had never seen the outside world, until one day Ishizu and I snuck out, or rather I snuck out and she followed me to try and convince me to come home. But I was enthralled by the world, the people and the market. I saw a TV for the first time. All of it was so brilliant. I didn't understand back then how important my duty was. And I got the idea that I had been robbed of a proper childhood, in the sun and with people. Perhaps I had been robbed but I let resentments fill my heart." He frowned, and a sorrow that was very deep etched into his whole face making him look years older than he was. One of his hands snaked around his shoulder to trace over the ink there before he continued.

"When my father found out we had been outside he was furious. But our older brother Odin took the blame. Father killed him as a punishment for me allowing him to lie, you have to understand we were of the old ways. We had a mission from the gods to protect the royal family and the millennium items but I was too young to understand any of that. All I knew was it was my fault that my brother was dead. I was given the mark of my family that very night, and I was completely informed of the prophecy and the past. When Ishizu was given the millennium necklace and I was not chosen I grew enraged. I stole the millennium rod, before Ishizu was planning to give it to Kaiba." He said the sheepish look returning and I gasped surprised at the territorial feelings that swelled through me.

"But Seto cursed the rod so that any man who took it upon his death would go mad." I pointed out matter o factly. His eyes widened in thought as he nodded.

"That explains a hell of a lot. I was possessed in a way by an evil spirit that I thought invaded the rod but perhaps it was just the priests maddening curse. This darkness led me to nearly destroy the world and the Pharoah but he managed to win and ripped the darkness from myself and the rod. Only then was I really able to see the destruction my choices had brought. I am lucky that Ishizu has been so very forgiving with me." He muttered the last part and I gave him a moment to think as I absorbed what the point was. As if reading my thoughts he answered my unspoken question.

" anyways, I choose to fight against my destiny once. I do agree with Kaiba, some of our choices are up to us and we can defiantly create our own destinies and walk what ever path we desire. Most people spend their whole lives trying to find their places in the world, But when you already know what you need to do, and the path is laid right before you why would you choose to take a harder path? I mean why build a desk blind when you have an instruction Manuel you know." He said giving me a very pointed look and I grasped at what he was saying and chewed over it.

If I knew that seeing Seto again, and finding Atem were the next step then why was I hesitating. I logically knew I had no other option and that delaying was pointless. I was procrastinating because I was afraid of dealing with the pain it would bring up but my nightmares were doing that just fine. I nodded slightly to myself, once having made up my mind feeling most of the anxiety melt away. As usually I panicked over the decision not the outcome.

He yawned and I smiled slightly deciding that Marik had passed my initial judgment. He was alright, as any guy is I suppose.

"Thank you." I said and he shrugged and mumbled about getting a few hours of sleep before Ishizu woke him up and I apologized once more only for him to shrug me off.

He retreated to his own room leaving me sitting quietly in the edge of my bed with my thoughts. So I would call him then.

I pulled out my phone and looked at the time again. It was now five ten. Making it two pm in Japan if I remembered correctly it was nine hours ahead. Seeing that as best a time as any I sighed and dialed the number before taking a deep breath and holding the phone to my ear. After the third ring he answered barking out a raspy and irritated,

"Kaiba." I gulped at the harshness but took another deep breath before I spoke.

"Seto." I listened quietly and counted to five before he took a deep breath himself and spoke.

"Aliyah… is that you?" He asked quietly and I heard him shift the phone around. I nodded and then mentally smacked myself for not realizing he couldn't see me before I chocked out a low yes.

"I can't believe, I mean are you okay? Where are you?" his voice was much softer now almost like he was whispering but not quite. It was a much different tone than when he had answered. My stomach twisted uncomfortably and I forced down the warmth that the sound of his voice caused.

"I'm okay. I'm in Egypt." I said and bit the insides of my cheeks. This conversation wasn't even that bad and I still felt like I was in a roller coaster.

Part of me wanted to cry and tell him beautiful things that had waited five thousand years and another part of me wanted to yell at him for abandoning me but the larger part just wanted to hang up and run away.

"Can I come get you?" He asked and it almost sounded pleading. I closed my eyes. This is inevitably what I wanted right? But why couldn't anything ever run on my time? The world always moved too damn fast and it was hard to handle most of the time.

"Please. " He continued and I sighed again. Of course I would let him come get me. What choice did I have, and I did want this anyways. I just didn't know how to handle the way I felt.

"Okay. I'm with Ishizu." I said assuming he would know where to find me from that alone he didn't question me for directions or an address so I assumed my assumption was correct.

"Seto, I just… I need time okay?" I muttered feeling few tears slip down.

I knew I didn't have to elaborate, he understood that I meant I needed time before we talked about it. About us.

Now that he had his memories he had to know what I had done to him, as children I had thought foolishly that as long as he stayed in the dark we could be friends.

I was surprised he didn't hate me but I wasn't convinced he didn't yet. After all I deserved that much anyways I was a monster. He didn't answer instead he took another breath.

" Do you still want me to come get you?" He asked in a monotonous voice. But I could pick the sadness out from underneath the tone and I was floored by the intensity of it. I tried to picture him as I had seen him in the belly of the beast when we were trapped but all I could make up in my mind was his slightly chubby cheeks and bright smiling face of his ten year old self.

"Yes, I just don't want you to misunderstand. I'm not ready to deal with the past, or the distant past because I'm just not capable yet. I don't want to disappoint you, but I'm broken somehow and I just… I just…" I couldn't finish as I started to completely cry with the occasional broken sob. He didn't speak, probably unsure what to do over the phone. After a moment he cleared his throat and I swallowed the last sob.

"I am sorry about the past, I'm sorry I abandoned you. But I don't consider you to be broken, just damaged. Trust me when I say that I am in no better condition. I've come to a Point where I don't want to be alone anymore, before I had my memories returned. And now it goes deeper than that because I know I belong with you. A year ago I would have laughed at the thought of Egypt, of me having some predestined future. I thought I was always going to be alone, I didn't believe in Soulmates or magic. I believed in facts, and I still do. It is a fact that I love you Ayla, Aliyah… if you're not ready then that's okay I just want to see you. I want to know you're okay, and be there for you. I don't need more than that, just you are enough. All the broke pieces." He said and I surprised the wave of nostalgia that washed over me at his repeat of something he said to me when we were kids. About me being enough as I was. I chuckled a little and I heard him sigh in content on the other end.

"Okay." I whispered and he returned the chuckle but didn't ask me to elaborate. I was sure we would end up having more conversations about this later and if I m knew him as impatient as he is sooner rather than later.

"I'll be there before the sun sets tomorrow." He said his voice slipping back into a almost business like tone. My stomach flipped uncomfortably at the thought of seeing him so soon.

"I can't wait." I said trying to sound excited and failing miserably even though a good portion of me was internally thrilled that I would actually be seeing him I had always been and would always be far too socially awkward to get my feelings across. I heard him chuckle and the phone shifted around again.

"Ally…" he asked as if he thought I wasn't there anymore. I replied with a soft yes.

"I missed you." He admitted and I could hear his own discomfort to his declaration. I don't remember either of us being so award in Egypt, both of us held authority and power and we're leaders back then. Funny how much things had changed.

"I know. Me too." I sighed and clung to the phone as overwhelming waves of sorrow washed over me and I felt lost in the regret of so much wasted time between us. I had known even the first time Seto found me in the woods for the first time who he was and what we were even if I had been in denial. For two years in the orphanage I had pushed him away, too scared to be close. Even now the thought of letting anyone in my life even Seto was petrifying. I had spent so very long making sure that I stayed in my own personal lonely bubble, I just didn't know how to let someone in.

"I have to go Aliyah I have to speak to my pilot but I will see you soon." He said and I sighed as I heard him hang up.

I stood perfectly still processing what just happened.

To my surprise a bright smile managed to sneak it's way up onto my mouth. The twisting in my stomach turned to a flutter of butterfly's and in a girlish impulse I couldn't quite control I pulled my arms together and I made one gleeful yet shill squeal.

"Good morning Princess. It is nice to see you in better spirits." Ishizu startled me by saying behind me in the still open door frame. My face grew hot but I frowned at my behavior, I just didn't act like that. Like some silly over hyper kid.

"Did I wake you? I'm so sorry!" I said sheepishly as she shook her head.

"No I am usually up with the rising of the sun. I was correct to give you privacy this morning then?" she questioned giving me a knowing look and I smiled in thanks while nodding my head.

"Seto will be here sometime tomorrow evening." I replied as she lead me to the kitchen where I could see she already had breakfast ready. It was an American breakfast and I found myself genuinely hungry again today but considering the fact that I was basically comatose for nearly two weeks I didn't find it odd.

She handed me a empty plate and instructed as she disappeared down the hall while I choose scrambled eggs and bacon with a biscuit even though I was sure I couldn't finish all of the food I choose.

She returned with Marik in tow looking disgruntled and I frowned.

"I'm sorry." I mouthed as his locked eyes with me. He waved me off and started to make a plate twice the size of my own.

Ishizu excused herself saying she had already eaten and disappeared again.

"Don't worry about her. If she eats anything besides vegetables she gains weight like crazy. I bet she ate celery for breakfast." He laughed as he shoveled a whole piece of bacon in his mouth and moaned.

"I never get to have bacon. God you should come over more often." He sighed making me chuckle a laugh of my own.

I kept waiting for the sadness to creep back up my spine and overwhelm me but it didn't. Maybe I was just to excited over seeing Seto, and getting to meet my brother for the first time in five thousand years. But there was an uncharacteristically bright yet small smile that I couldn't seem to shake off my face.

After breakfast Ishizu returned to find me and Marik in the living room. Somehow he had convinced me to play his video game Skyrim. I was awful at it. But it was making us both laugh and I realized that I liked Marik, not like that. Not like with Seto but for lack of better words he was actually pretty cool.

Ishizu grinned at us and I sat the controller down as I noticed her arms were full of bags.

"There's a mall in Egypt?" I asked flabbergasted and she smirked as she sat everything down and stretched her arms above her head.

" in Cairo yes, it's only a hop skip and a beat when you use a portal." She said with a devious glint making my eyes widen.

"Hey that's not fair! You're not suppose to use your shadow magic like that.." Marik yelled as he stood up and crossed his arms over his exposed stomach. He looked silly in his tee shirt that was way too short and all the golden bands adorning his arms.

"I can make the decision when my skills are fruitless and when it is worth the risk." She chided and reached her arm out to flick his forehead with her fingers He pouted looking like a petulant child.

"I got you a few things. Your bag was mostly destroyed as well as the clothes you came in and I assumed you didn't want to be wearing something so grandiose." She said with a flick of her wrist towards the lavender priestess robe she had leant me.

I glanced at myself and though I looked rather good with the flowing silk clinging to my body in flattering ways I wasn't used too it was rather ostentatious.

Realizing this I smiled in genuinely gratitude as I stepped towards the bags that Marik was already grabbing to carry into my temporary room for me.

We walked into the room and he dropped the bags on the bed and began pilfering through them shamelessly.

"Nosy much?" I said nudging him over so that I could see for myself. I was shocked to see that not only did she know what sized clothes I wore but also had picked out several things I liked.

I grabbed a black shirt and a pair of faded light blue jeans. Marik eyes my choice and shook his head as he pulled out a tight fitting purple tank top that had a lighter shade of violet lace embellishing the hem of the bottom and the top.

"No." I said turning pale, that was way too much skin to show off, it would be way too form fitting. It wouldn't look good.

"Aww why not? I bet Kaiba would think you looked good. Come on trust me I have an impeccable fashion sense." He said putting a hand on his hip and shoved the fabric into my hands.

"Really?" I asked incredulously looking at his wire outfit.

"Just wear it tomorrow, if you hate it you can put on whatever you want. Besides you owe me." He gave me a pointed look. I groaned in defeat lied the outfit down on the edge of my bed. The rest of my day went by quickly in my excited state.

Seto's POV

The plain ride had been an awful fifteen and a half hours. Most of which I spent on the phone with first the air port in Cairo to clear my private jets landing privileges. They weren't happy about the short notice especially with everything that had been happening in the world lately, but I had enough money to make anyone do anything it hour really scratching the surface. One of the many perks of being a Kaiba. Then I had called a hotel and booked it for two nights, unsure what condition she would be in when I got there and finally I had rented a car so that I would be able to get to Ishizu's as fast as possible.

When I was done I poured myself a drink, only one, to calm my nerves and checked the time. It was five PM now that I was in a new time zone but to me it was much later than that and I could feel the beginnings of jet lag setting in.

I didn't know what to expect when I saw her or how I would act, the last time I saw her we were just kids and she had been so shut off that it was nearly impossible to get n her head and for her to trust you. But I had managed and in Egypt she had been completely different, confident and proud. But it was no matter to me, I loved her no matter who she was.

I pulled out my phone and texted what I assumed was her phone. It was a simple text that contained none of my excitement.

'I will be there in about two hours.'

This was after of course I typed out three different texts and deleted them before I had gained the courage to hit send. Things my calculating mind were too embarrassed to analyze.

An hour later the pilot announced that we were about to land and I hooked my seat belt back on and waited patiently as my insides bubbled. Even if I was perfectly cool and calm on the surface I was a typhoon of unfamiliar emotions underneath.

When the small jet, not my blue eyes jet of course it was too small landed I met the pilot outside and paid him. I told him we would either depart tomorrow or the next day but to rest and he bowed as he left to go to the hotel room I had gotten for him to stay in. Not as nice as my own of course but still first class.

My car was already waiting for me at the airport and I wagered whether or not I needed to stop by the hotel room first an decided against it. As I drove I Texted Mokuba to let him know that I made it safely and I would call him when he got up for school.

When I found myself outside of the Ishtar home I parked the car but didn't move. I took a series of deep breaths to try and calm myself wishing that I had a better handle on my emotions right now. I had spent too much of my life, ever since I escaped the orphanage hiding my emotions and though I didn't want to be that way with Aliyah anymore than I liked giving Mokuba the cold shoulder I didn't know how to step outside of my comfort zone and most of the time I found myself stuck under a thick layer of ice.

After seven minutes of sitting in the car a set my shoulders and decides it was now or never. As I opened the door and stepped outside I saw Ishizu walk out of the small house. She stood stoic as ever with her smug smile and I groaned. I wasn't particularly fond of her.

"Ishizu." I greeted curtly with a stiff nod of my head. She eyed the Millennium rod strapped to my belt before her smirk widened.

"It is nice to see you once more priest." She greeted chuckling. I narrowed my eyes but made no comment. What would be the point in wasting my breath arguing the blatant truth?

"Aliyah?" I asked loosing my patience as I tried to look behind her. She moved aside and motioned me into her home and I was surprised at how nice it was on the inside. I guess her gig at the museum had paid well if the lavish decorations and pleasant ambiance were any indicators.

She lead me into the living room quietly and stood to the side once we entered. I saw Marik as he turned and grinned his crazy grin with a irksome mischievous glint in his violet eyes.

"Ishtar." I nodded back at him. He took three steps out of the way then and there she was.

She turned with widened crimson eyes and her mouth piped open ever so slightly in surprise. I watched as her gaze drifted from my face all the way down and quickly back into my eyes. I wondered idly if she liked what she saw or not disturbed by my silly thoughts.

I found myself following her lead as I checked her appearance, just to make sure she was indeed okay of course, I reasoned.

She was wearing a deep purple camisole with lacy fringe across her chest and along the bottom hem and a tight fitting pair of faded jeans and skate boarding shoes much like the style Mokuba wore except hers were black and neon colors. She was dressed simply but she looked amazing, the purple brought out the exotic highlights in her hair which flowed down to her mid back in tousled waves while her soft golden bangs swept over the left side of her face and cascaded like liquid gold across her shoulder begging for me to reach out and touch. I restrained myself of course.

I opened my mouth to greet her but no words came out while I gaped at her in a very un-Kaiba like manner. It wasn't that I was shocked silly, just I hadn't expected her to look so… womanly. Sure I had a good memory of what she had looked like in the past, just as beautiful as she was now but in a different way. She was edgy now, she had an air about her that was unlike her former self and I struggled to come up with the words in my head to describe it.

"Seto…" She whispered softly drawing me out of my revere. Her shock had melted into sadness while I had been thinking and I blanched at by the sight of her doe like orbs and pouted biting her lip and twisting her hands in front of her nervously.

I don't remember what I had planned to say or what I was intending to do but the sight of her familiar puckered lips as she frowned ceased all thought and in a move that was decidedly bold I took the three long strides to stop directly in front of her. I wrapped my arms quickly around her waist and pulled her off of the ground in a bone crushing hug.

For a second she was frozen but soon she buried her face into the tender spot behind my ear and wove her arms around my neck. I heard her give the smallest sigh of content.

"I missed you." She eventually said softly as I sat her down. I realized the room had been cleared, the Ishtar siblings giving us a moment of privacy and I was secretly great full for that as I watched her intently.

Her nervousness returned as she started to fidget again. I could have teased her if I wasn't feeling much the same under my stoic façade.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I pulled her towards the offered couch behind us. She sat with me and blew a lock of her hair out of her face making it flow slowly to the side in a silken glimmer.

"I'm okay really just a few bruised rids and one hell of a sunburn. Luckily I tan quickly." She joked, she was indeed very tan and I knew it was from being out in this blistering sun. Truth be told I was actually enjoying the feeling of warmth on my skin from being back in the desert once again but I knew I was far too pale from countless hours spend inside in front of my computer programing things for Kaiba corp, if I spent too much time out in this head I too would have a sunburn. Not something I was looking forward too.

"Are you sure your ribs aren't broken?" I asked reaching a hand out to brush her arm but stopping when she flinched away.

"I'm sure. I know the difference." She muttered looking away and ending the discussion. I frowned at the thought.

"When we return to Domino we will need to figure out a few things." I shifted the conversation to more business like matters glad that her defensiveness melted a little bit.

"Like what?" she asked sounding surprised as she looked at her lap and began pulling off invisible lint.

"Well have you graduated school yet?" I questioned starting with the easiest topic, she was still seventeen after all. She grinned.

"Actually I was able to take summer school for the last two years to get ahead. I graduated a year early so no more school for me." She grinned sounding rather pleased with herself, I'm sure she was as proud of her hard work as I found myself to be. Having graduated early myself I knew what it took to get ahead.

"Okay, well I think the next thing we have to worry about is where you will live." I punctuated each word slowly glancing into her eyes and feeling my stomach tighten in anticipation of her answer.

"Well it is defiantly going to take me some time to get on my feet. I have a little bit of money but not enough to afford an apartment in Domino by myself yet. I'll have to get a job pretty quick but I'll be okay until then. There is no reason for you to have to worry about that." She began to chew one of her nails when she finished and I recognized most of the signs that she was way more anxious than she was letting on.

"You can stay with me you know." I added my voice sounding off and uncomfortable with the declaration. A blush spread to her cheeks.

"Seto, I told you I need time to… sort out my own thoughts before I can…" She didn't finish her sentence and I found myself wishing I knew what she wanted from me in the end. I didn't want to let myself believe it could ever be more than this just in case it never was.

"I don't mean like that. You would have your own room, you wouldn't have to worry about rent or food and I could even help you get a job if you insist though it really wouldn't be necessary. I can more than provide for you." I offered opening my palms up to her, wanting to touch her and hating having to resist. Seto Kaiba took what he wanted, but this situation was a little more delicate than that.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she tumbled my idea around and I prepared myself for the onslaught of her anger. I was ready for this reaction, remembering she would be quick to temper quite like myself when she was put on the spot.

"look I don't need you to or anyone to take care of me. I'm not some charity case." She demanded huffing and crossing her arms as she looked away. I sighed.

"I know that. You're family." I said forcing out the words that made me uncomfortable. I genuinely didn't like to step out of my comfort zone for just anyone. Her sudden anger melted away but she didn't return her gaze, she just put her arms back down.

"I don't want to be a burden on you. I've always been on my own, it's better that way." She spoke so quietly at first I wasn't sure she had spoken at all and it was my imagination, if not for the way she bit her lip as she kept her gaze averted I would have thought I had.

Her words floored me and I found myself reaching forward and gently and slowly grabbing her chin to turn her back to look at me. I could see tears fighting under the surface of her eyes. I held her gaze for a few moments before I spoke.

"You have never, will never be a burden to me Aliyah. If I had it my way you would never leave my side again, and it's not often things don't go my way." I smirked trying to diffuse her anxiety. She didn't look away, perhaps as mesmerized by this moment as I was and I found myself desperately wanting to lean down and gap the short distance so that I could capture her plump lips against me own but I restrained myself.

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" I asked after a minute, to make sure she knew the option was there. I wasn't going to force her to stay with me. If she wanted I would gladly buy her an apartment, or take her to the game shop as long as they had the room.

I could see even as she tried to disguise the fear that crossed her eyes and I knew no matter what she said alone was the last thing she wanted to be.

"No." She chirped and rubbed one of her arms as if she were cold but I knew that couldn't be the case. It was sweltering here.

"Then it is settled. I'll call Mokuba and have him get the maids to prepare a bedroom for you to stay in." I said glad to have the issue resolved.

"Are you sure?" she asked quietly. I realized my hand was still on her chin and I released her quickly.

"Of course." I sighed softly.

"I'll pay you back once I get a job." She confirmed the corners of her mouth turning up ever so slightly.

"There is literally no need. You'll see when we get there. I have more money than I know what to do with." I joked completely serious. She arched one delicate brow but didn't say anything and I knew she must have a hard time imagining that much money.

"Fine." She finally agreed but I saw her relax a little. After a few seconds she placed her warm hand over my own stiffly. I looked up at her but she was turned away with a distant look and I was reminded of a much younger Ally, from my childhood. One day I was going to wipe that look off of her face.

We grew quiet then both reflecting on our thoughts until Marik came in carrying an adornment of bags. He sat them down at her feet and she grinned up at him letting go of my hand too fast.

"Thanks." She said as she stood up and just like that I was forgotten as she began talking to the Egyptian twit. I watched as she smiled, waved her arms around and giggled. I could feel the hot bubbly sensation of my own jealousy that he could so easily joke with her yet I could not.

"You have to come visit me sometime. I'll be staying with Seto so as long as he doesn't care…" She trailed off as she looked at me, all of her excitement still on her face. As much as I detested the idea I found myself nodding grimly. As long as she stayed by my side she could have whatever she wanted.

"Of course I'll visit. Actually Ishizu has been pondering the idea of moving back to Japan. It seems like our jobs here are done." He grinned at her like the Cheshire cat and I narrowed my eyes when he looped an arm over her shoulders and she didn't flinch. How could she be so calm with him when our whole lives she was nearly afraid of me. What the Hell made him so special. I clenched the fabric of my trench coat in my hands and looked away.

"Seto?" Aliyah said shaking my shoulder softly and I blinked realizing she was inches from my face giving me a pointed look. Had I zoned off?

"You okay? You fell asleep." She said and I shook my head to clear it as her sweet breath cascaded over my face. How could I have fallen asleep, I mean sure I hadn't been sleeping lately and I had been on a fifteen hour flight but I was Seto Kaiba, I did not just fall asleep on a whimsy especially without being in the comfort of my own home.

I noticed it was much darker now that it had been and I groaned as I stretched my arms above my head.

"I'm sorry. How long was I out?" I asked shifting my face back into its emotionless mask. She checked her phone.

"About three hours. Ishizu wanted to know if we were staying here tonight?" she asked softly sitting down next to me. I shook my head, that wouldn't be necessary.

"I booked a hotel for us." I said and found myself leaning closer to her unconsciously.

"Oh…" She chirped surprised and a wonderful blush spread over her tanned cheeks.

"Don't worry you can have the bed." I said and stood up. She stayed quiet and I noticed that her bags were gone.

"Marik helped me moved them to the car. I guess they knew that I wasn't staying here tonight. It was me that was unsure." She spoke softly, her voice sounded tired and I figured she probably was.

"Are you hungry? The hotel is about an hour away in Cairo and there happens to be a Wonderful French restaurant there that is world renowned though I have never been myself." I offered taking my chances and grabbing her hand as I walked towards the door. She didn't complain and I wondered exactly where my limits were, hugging it seemed as fine as was this. What would she do if I pulled her to me and showed her what she meant to me?

"Do you need to say goodbye? You seemed pretty close…" I asked grumbling at the end in discomfort. She chuckled, apparently in a good mood and shook her head.

"No whey went out about an hour ago to give us time alone." She laughed and waggled her brow at me. Did she have any idea what she did to me? Where had this playfulness come from anyways?

"I'm sorry to have wasted our time sleeping then." I found myself joking with her just to hear her bell like laughter again. She seemed different now than she had before I fell asleep, softer and more carefree. Had something happened while I had been stupidly sleeping.

I walked her to the car, watching as she locked the bottom lock of the small Ishtar house all the while never letting go of my hand.

"Are you sure you want to go out to some fancy restaurant to eat. I'm not really dressed." She complained glancing at her outfit.

"You look… lovely." I admitted stuttering only slightly through my own anti social tendencies. She made a face obviously disagreeing with my observation.

"But if you would prefer to stay in we can always order something from room service." I offered and she smiled nodding. I made a mental note that I would eventually have to take this beautiful woman out.

The ride to the hotel was quiet but not uncomfortable, which I enjoyed. I didn't always like to feel as if I had to speak all the time but some people made it impossible to sit in silence. Aliyah played with her Rose, and I noticed it for the first time. Her item looked so much like my own. Almost as if they were made for each other.

"So how did you end up getting your soul taken?" I asked her remembering how we had been trapped together. She scrunched her face up.

"Some stranger basically ambushed me and I got a little hot headed. I assumed I could take him and I probably could have if it weren't for that stupid card." She explained and I nodded remembering my own fall downward. At least Yami had been there beside me, I hadn't spent long lost. She had spent nearly two weeks and I felt sorry for her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." I suddenly found myself saying. She hesitated but reached across the center console and rested her hand on top of mine again.

"It's okay." I frowned at her easy acceptance and found myself wondering how many years she had spent on her own. I guess I would have plenty of time to learn about everything I had missed.

"I'm sorry about your adopted dad. I heard about him jumping from his office window." She said out of nowhere with a very distant look on her face. I ignored the clench of my stomach and gritted my teeth.

"Don't be. He deserved it." I growled startling her with the intensity of my hatred.

"Why?" she asked watching me intently and I sighed. I considered backing out and telling her later but I had already decided I didn't want to be dishonest with her.

"He was a bastard. I should have never cheated during that chess game. He put Mokuba and I through a living nightmare. I'm glad that you weren't a part of it." I gave her a sideways glance while she considered this.

"I would have walked through hell to stay by your side. Even then." Her voice was small but not unsure. I felt her grip my hand tighter and wondered if she would say anything else but she looked out of her window with a very sad expression.

"were here." I announced finally as we pulled up to the huge hotel. It was nothing like what you would find in the states or even in Domino for that matter but it was still grand enough for me and I was sure Ally had never stayed in a five star hotel before now.

"Good. I'm so tired." She said yawning and I saw how her ruby eyes drooped slightly and found myself glad we had decided against going out for dinner. As it was all I really wanted was a cheese burger which was out of the norm for me but every once in a while I would indulge myself.

"Hello how may I help you?" a perky darkly tanned girl asked in choppy English as we reached the counter. She smiled at me brightly but I paid her little mind.

"I have a reservation for Kaiba." I barked rudely. I saw Aliyah blanch besides me probably because she hadn't heard how I spoke to normal people yet.

The girl paled a little and began typing to look up my room number.

"Ah yes you reserved a loft on the top floor, am I correct?" she asked in a small voice and I nodded trying to be a tad bit more forthcoming.

She handed me my key card and without so much as acknowledging her presence again I turned, my white trench coat swirling behind me with a bewildered Aliyah behind me. I heard her utter a quiet 'Thank you.' Before she grabbed my elbow tightly.

I glanced down at her to see her jaw set tight and her brow knit together. She had one hand clenched into the fabric of her shirt right over her heart and she was breathing in low but quick gasps.

Realizing that she was beginning to panic and recognizing that she was still struggling with what ever it was she had been dealing with when we were kids.

Without giving myself time to analyze it any further I slipped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her against me as we kept walking. I saw her face brighten and her breath hitch but I had effectively distracted her. My smirk shifted into a grin and I gave my surroundings a first real glance.

I looked around and saw how many people there were around us surprised to see that the room was quite full. I had been so focused on her, even when I wasn't actually staring at her I was listening, using too much of my focus to be aware of her. But I couldn't help it, I felt so empty before. Just having her near me had all my senses on red alert. I felt alive. Possibly for the first time in my while life.

We reached the room at last and I released her to unlock the door. I swooped my arm out for her to enter first. She gasped and looked around the room with a grin before she smiled back at me.

"Just wait until you see the mansion." I boasted checking to see that our bags had already made it up from the car. And tipped the bell boy who was standing at the door.

""You have a mansion?" she asked sounding genuinely surprised and I laughed.

I checked the time and realized it was midnight meaning it would be around nine in the morning back home.

"I need to call Mokuba to check on him. Why don't you get comfortable, you can use the phone to order something to eat…get me a cheese burger." I added as an after thought as I started dialing the familiar number on my iphone. He answered after the second ring.

"Seto!" He said gleefully and I found myself smiling.

"Hey. How are you? Is everything okay?" I asked worried. I Hated leaving him home all alone.

"Actually I need to tell you something but don't be mad." He warned and I sighed.

"I let Yami stay here last night and I was going to let him stay again tonight..." He admitted sounding guilty and I realized he thought I was going to be mad about this, maybe before I would have but actually I was just happy he had company and I assumed that Yami would want to see Aliyah when I brought her home tomorrow.

"Mokuba that's fine. It is your house too, besides you could pick worse company. Like the filthy flea bag for instance… why is something going on?" I said as I questioned why he were there.

" Well actually… Yugi's grandpa kicked him out." He said in a much lower voice obviously sad.

"What?" I asked honestly shocked. That didn't seem like something he would do.

"Here." He said as he must have handed the phone over as I hear shuffling.

"Kaiba." I heard Yami's voice over the line he sounded a little embarrassed if you asked me but I shrugged it off and asked what was going on.

"Ah well Yugi's grandpa had a few words about how much danger I've put Yugi in as of late. He hasn't banned me from seeing my aibou bur he did put a cap on how often we could spend time together. He said that we had become too dependent on each other's company and needed to learn to be alone." He muttered sounding depressed and I thought about how hard it much be for him to be without his hikari after nearly loosing his very soul but u had to agree with the old man. I had seen more out of the Pharoah since he had lost that duel with Raphael than I ever had across the field from him.

"I have to agree with him though. It's great you have him back home, that you have your own life now it's time you learned how to live it. The danger has passed, now you just get to live." I said keeping my voice leveled and neutral.

"I'm sorry that to have intruded like this, I just didn't know where else to go." He admitted and I sighed realizing that my privacy was about to be completely intruded on. But he was Aliyah brother and my former best friend and pharaoh and though I would never admit it out loud somehow I felt honor bound to help him.

"It's okay you can stay. I have enough space I can put you clear on the other side of the mansion and then you won't be a bother to me." I said making sure to sound annoyed. He thanked me and handed the phone back to Mokuba.

"So you're not mad?" he asked sheepishly.

"No Moki it's okay. Aliyah will be staying with us too. Let the maids know to set her up a room as well as one for Yami." I explained and heard him yelp in excitement as he began blubbering a mile per minute about all the games he would play with her and the things he would do. I listened dutifully until he was done.

"Hey kiddo, I'm going to get some sleep, it's late here. Have a good day." I said and he told me bye. Just before I hung up I stopped.

"And Mokuba, I love you." I said softly and imagined the smile he would have.

"Love you too!" He said and I hung up. I turned around to find Aliyah asleep on the large bed and I smiled before I pulled the comforter close around her shoulders and tucked her in.

I found my food sitting on The table, I hadn't even heard the door when it was brought up here but I noticed she hadn't ordered anything for herself to eat. I narrowed my eyes as I quickly ate my food, not enjoying it as I had hoped since it was cold.

I grabbed the other pillow from the bed then turned off the lights and laid down on the couch with a sigh wishing I could sleep next to her. It wasn't long and I survived to my exhaustion.

Some time later I woke up disoriented and looked around. I could hear soft crying and saw Ally sitting up hiding her face in her pillow. Her shoulders were shaking and I jumped up quickly.

I climbed into the bed and pulled her against me whispering words of comfort.

"Seth…Oh Seth I'm so sorry." She wailed hysterically and clung to me still sobbing. I buried my head against her shoulder as I held her.

"I'm here." I said softly hoping she would calm down soon. Seeing her like this had my stomach in knots.

"No you're not… I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. It was an accident, an accident!" She gasped, completely lost in her anxiety and sorrow. My brows knit together.

"I'm right here Ayla." I said using her old name as she had mine. This made her shaking worse and she turned her head from side to side desperately.

"No, I killed you. Oh god I killed you." She cried and then so suddenly it scared me she went limo in my arms and her head slouched on my shoulder softly. I shifted her to see that she had merely passed out probably from the severity of her anxiety.

I lowered her down onto the mattress but as I began to pull away she whimpered causing me to stop. Shifting next to her I stared at her now peaceful face while I thought about what she had said.

I remembered what she was talking about, I hadn't had much time to think about how it made me feel.

It had happened so quickly but I never blamed her. I could remember how she had wailed out and pulled the Rod from my weak hands thinking I was already gone. She pulled out the hidden blade and readied herself to impale it through her own stomach. I had tried say something but all that escaped was a gargle of blood. She had faded before my panicked eyes and then everything went black.

I felt tears pour down but made no move to wipe them away realizing she blamed herself for my death, she blamed herself for her mother's death before she came to the orphanage and she was terrified that it would happen again.

I could understand her fear with a blunt clarity. I was terrified to see her die too, she more than likely didn't know I had still been conscious to see her end her life to follow me into the afterlife. I had even see her brother as he had ran to us lost in complete sorrow.

If only I knew how we had ended up being reborn and how Yami had been trapped in the puzzle, what forces were at play to grant us this second chance and what would be the price we would have to pay this time…

AN) well there's the chapter. I hope this is turning out alright, this is a different take on the whole idea I am obsessed with about Seto being with the Pharaohs sister. Let me know what you think.


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